


Rose For An Angel

by Miko no da (Miko), Trio Maxwell-Chang (thegreatwordologist)



Category: Earthian, Weiß Kreuz
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-01-01
Updated: 2003-01-01
Packaged: 2018-03-09 19:25:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 38,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3261557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miko/pseuds/Miko%20no%20da, https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegreatwordologist/pseuds/Trio%20Maxwell-Chang
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aya makes a decision to rescue a young boy from a laboratory Weiss attacks, and his life may never be the same. </p><p>(Posting OLD fics off my defunct website)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Abyssinian ghosted through the corridors of the research lab, as silent-footed as the cat he was codenamed for. The razor-sharp edge of his katana caught the little light in the halls, refracting it into a rainbow of colour, making it look like the blade was sharp enough to cut light itself. Elsewhere in the nearly-deserted building his teammates were doing likewise - the target, a former associate of Takatori Masafumi, had NOT been in the office as predicted. They knew he was somewhere in the building, but they had to find him before he could escape. Bombay had indicated they should split up, keeping in contact via their transmitters.

The hall he was in was clearly some sort of detention area. Tiny cells lined either side of the hall, their doors sturdy metal, with only a tiny reinforced window near the top. On each door was a label and a chart, presumably for the research the madman had been conducting. All the windows were dark, no sign of life in the cells - save for one door at the end of the hallway he was heading towards, which had a weak light shining from the window.

He approached it slowly, eyes and body alert for anything out of the ordinary, though it was all out of the ordinary in this place. Amazingly, he kept his cool, knowing that later, he'd likely be ill from the sights but that currently, force of will was sustaining him. Arriving at the window, he peered inside.

The dim overhead light shone down to reveal a slender figure curled up on the narrow cot that was bolted to the wall inside. Given the position of the body, it was impossible to tell anything about the cell's occupant other than the fact that the person had dark hair. Aya wasn't even entirely certain the prisoner was alive until the slim form shifted slightly, one pale eye peering out at him from under ragged bangs.

Sucking in a breath, Aya scowled. "Bombay," he said into the communicator. "We've got a live subject in here... human."

There was a pause, and Aya faintly heard his youngest teammate swear under his breath. "Can you get him out, Abyssinian?"

"How quiet do you want me to be?" Aya asked, eyeing the window. It'd be a hell of a lot easier to just break the thing than try to pick the cell's door.

Just then there was a shout - Ken's voice, ringing in his ear. "Bombay!" the excitable young man exclaimed. "I see the target... he's getting away! He's in the parking garage on the north side - I'm heading after him!"

"Be as loud as you like, Abyssinian," Omi said. "Balinese, you're closest to Siberian, give him some backup. I'm going to try to cut him off at the exit to the street. Abyssinian, you're on your own!"

Aya acknowledged Omi's words, then stepped back a pace, staring at the single eye before preparing himself. He kicked out at the glass viciously, putting all his strength behind the blow.

He felt the impact travel up his leg as the glass refused to budge. He winced - he would be limping on that foot for a day or two after that. The noise of the blow was a dull 'thud' that nonetheless seemed to startled the occupant of the cell. The slender form sat up on the bed, and Aya could see that it seemed to be a teenage male with almost delicate facial features. Wide violet eyes that matched his own stared back at him through the glass as the boy hugged himself tightly around the torso and scooted back on the bed, as far from the door as he could get.

Growling, Aya paced to the door, managing not to wince again despite the pain in his leg. He started to examine the lock to see if he felt he could pick it, pausing and staring when he realized it had been left open. Nervous now, expecting a trap, he reached out, grasping the handle and pulling.

The boy on the bed flinched at the opening of the door, pulling his knees up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them, lowering his head to rest on his knees until only his eyes were visible. From across the five feet or so that separated them, Aya could see the youth was trembling.

"Come on," he said impatiently, waving a hand at the boy. "We have to go now."

A spark came to life in the boy's eyes - defiance, and distrust. His spirit was bent, but not broken entirely, apparently. "Go where?" he demanded in a husky whisper, his voice quite a bit lower than Aya would have expected, given the sweet features. "Who are you?" Pale eyes flickered down to his sword, then back up to his face.

"Weiß," Aya said coolly. "We have to get you back to your home. Come on," he said again, gesturing once more. If the boy didn't come this time, he was damned well going to drag him out bodily, leg or no.

The boy seemed to sense his determination, because he rose slowly from the bed. As he moved it became obvious that he was completely naked. Aya could see needle tracks up the inside of his arms, and patches on his chest where it looked like electrodes had been hastily torn off, taking skin with them. He stood by the side of the bed, holding on to the wall for support, measuring the distance between then with uncertain eyes. "I... I don't think I can walk that far," the boy admitted in a shamed whisper.

Sheathing his sword, Aya quickly undid his trench coat, handing it to the boy. "Put this on." He considered, then nodded. "I'll carry you. But make it quick. We need to get out of here."

The boy reached out with unsteady hands for the trench coat and managed to pull it around himself. "The bio-humanoids," he murmured. "They'll be after us once HE realizes I'm gone... you can't hope to defeat them with a sword."

"What are you talking about?" Aya asked coolly, scooping him up. Before the boy could answer, Aya said sharply, "I have him Bombay. I'm getting him out."

"The target got away," Omi's voice came back full of disgust. "He had some kind of body-guard... if this was a bad Sci-fi flick, I'd say they were robots. They're incredibly strong and fast, and they don't seem to take damage! We're getting the hell out of here - the mission is aborted. Get yourself out the back way, and watch your back. Uh..." he hesitated, and Aya could hear the sound of pounding footsteps faintly through the microphone. "You'll have to decide what to do with the victim. Use your judgment, I trust you."

"Noted," Aya nodded, looking at the boy in his arms. "Bio-humanoids... are they robots of some type?" he asked, hurrying out of the building.

"Cyborgs," the boy clarified, hissing with pain as he was scooped up. Once in Aya's arms he clung to the taller man's neck for dear life, biting his lip to keep from crying out. "He's trying to create the 'perfect soldier', and they're the proto-types. He's only got two with him right now that I know of."

"His bodyguards," Aya scowled. "Where am I taking you?"

"Anywhere that's not HERE will do quite nicely," the boy replied with a world-weary sigh. “Just... not a hospital, please."

"All right," Aya nodded, continuing to move. He'd worry about the where once he was free. He made certain to avoid the parking lot, remembering where they'd seen the madman.

By the time they made it out to the street the boy was panting in short tiny breaths - the breathing of someone trying to gasp in pain while not aggravating broken ribs, as Aya knew very well from personal experience. His face was paste white under the streetlamps, making him look ghostly in contrast to his dark hair. His wide eyes were screwed shut in a grimace as he clung to Aya.

"Fuck," Aya cursed softly, the decision made. No hospitals meant that someone else would have to take care of the ribs. Which meant the Koneko. A destination in mind, Aya made his way silently, his grip on the boy gentling slightly despite his angry expression.

"Wh-where are we going?" the boy asked at one point, opening one eye enough to look around them. His breathing was slowly evening out - probably as he calmed. "You can't carry me like this forever - I'm too heavy." Despite his words, Aya realized the boy was almost unnaturally light, though he didn't look particularly underweight.

"We'll be there soon," Aya said coldly, to placate the boy. Other than that, he didn't answer. Lightweight or not, he wasn't interested in debating. Get him to the Koneko, _then_ worry about everything else. Omi would kill him...

The boy fell silent immediately at his harsh tone, lowering his face so that his eyes were shadowed by his bangs. He glanced over Aya's shoulder, brow furrowing in concentration for a moment before smoothing again. "At least we're not being followed," he offered in a small, almost shy voice. "You don't have to take me anywhere, really. I don't want to inconvenience you further."

"You have broken ribs," Aya growled, shifting his glare to the boy. "They have to be treated."

The boy tensed, gasping in pain. "No hospitals!" he insisted, beginning to struggle in Aya's arms, making it difficult for the older man to walk without dropping him. "Let me go!"

"Quit struggling," the redhead hissed. "No hospitals. I heard you the first time. Now stay STILL."

He fell still again, panting harshly. "Nothing's broken," he murmured. "I don't need help. Really..."

"Don't lie to me," Aya commanded. He shifted the boy to a more comfortable position, tucking his head almost under Aya's chin. "Your ribs are broken, and there's no telling what other damage you've sustained."

They were nearly to the Koneko now, and from an alley ahead of them Aya saw a small dark form appear, heading in the same direction they were going. Omi, Aya identified, seeing the flash of white from the boy's hood.

"Coming up on your right, Bombay," Aya murmured, watching Omi's head turn to see him. He nodded, keeping himself from explaining the presence of the boy in his arms by careful effort. Omi was going to kill him...

Omi stopped short, squinting at them in the gloom. "Is that Siberian?" the boy exclaimed. "What ha..." he took another step closer, and frowned, glaring at Aya. "Who the HELL is that?" he demanded. In Aya's arms the boy twitched, hiding his face in Aya's shoulder.

"The subject," Aya said calmly, turning glittering eyes on his teammate. "He's injured."

Omi planted his hands on his hips and lowered his voice, as if to keep the boy from hearing him. "Then take him to a HOSPITAL, Abyssinian! You know the procedure!"

"No hospitals," Aya said, continuing to walk, his long strides eating up the ground and forcing Omi to hurry after him once the younger assassin realized he wasn't stopping to debate the point.

The boy's arms squeezed tightly around his neck for a moment, and Aya heard a soft, whispered "Thank you." Omi had to jog to keep up with Aya's longer stride, but he did it with the ease of long practice. "Abyssinian, you CAN'T take him back to the K... back to our place!" The Koneko was already in sight, just a block and a half away.

"Watch me," Aya said bluntly, staring straight ahead. He didn't acknowledge the soft words of gratitude at all.

Omi made a frustrated noise, and sighed. "What are his injuries?" he asked, apparently giving in to the inevitable. "Is he conscious?" His voice turned hopeful with those last words - after all, if the boy was unconscious, they didn't have to worry about him identifying them.

"Based on initial observation, he's got cracked ribs. Beyond that, I wasn't able to tell. We'll determine that when we get there." Aya shifted the boy in his arms, settling him into a slightly more protected position. "And yes, he's conscious."

Omi said something rather out of character for him, and glared at his teammate. They had reached the alley behind the Koneko at this point, and Omi reached out to block the door. "Let me make one thing very clear, Abyssinian," he said. "You created this problem, and you will deal with it. That means he's YOUR responsibility. You know Kritiker is NOT going to be happy about this."

Aya didn't answer beyond the faintest of nods, waiting patiently for Omi to move. He stared at Omi, arms curling the boy slightly closer.

Omi sighed and stepped aside, opening the door for him. "Take him down to the mission room," he instructed tersely. "Put him on the couch, and I'll get the first aid kit."

Aya nodded again, doing as Omi directed. He was silent on the stairs, slow as he carefully tried not to jar his charge too much. When he reached the couch, he knelt beside it, letting his arms rest there as he waited for the boy to unwind himself from around Aya.

The youth settled into the couch with a small sigh, hugging Aya's trench coat to him tightly. "I really am fine," he insisted, though the words were half-hearted. Omi vanished into the side room and came back with the first aid kit.

Aya took the kit silently before Omi had a chance to begin the examination. They'd all been trained in what to watch for. Glaring at the young assassin, he said softly, "I'll do my portion of the mission report last."

"Right," Omi said blowing his bangs out of his eyes. "I suppose you want me to go away, then? I'll use my laptop to file the report. I expect your portion to be ready by morning!" he warned.

Aya didn't answer, letting the silence between them stretch into cold discomfort before the younger man walked away. Once they were alone, Aya turned back to the boy on the couch dispassionately. "I'll get you something to wear after your wounds are tended," he said, waiting for the youth to remove his trench coat.

The boy was staring at his hands, which were fiddling with the fasteners of the trench coat. "I got you in trouble," he whispered, hunching his shoulders. "I'm sorry..."

"My choice, my responsibility," Aya said abruptly, kneeling down beside the couch again. "No blame on anyone's shoulders but mine. Now let me examine you." Though the words were kind, the tone was not, sounding impatient and faintly annoyed. He opened the kit, laying out what he thought he'd need.

The boy clutched the coat a little closer, watching him warily. "I... I really..." He paused, and seemed almost to deflate. Silently he pushed the trench coat off his shoulders, leaving it to puddle in his lap, preserving his modesty. In the better light of the mission room Aya could see mottled bruises over his torso, the ugly yellow and green colour that indicated they were all beginning to fade. The needle tracks on his arms, however, were hardly visible, having faded away almost entirely. He sat with his hands clenched in his lap, not looking up.

Carefully, Aya checked him for broken or cracked bones, strained or pulled muscles, and anything else he could think of. Not quite apologetically, he asked questions, beginning with mundane things and working his way into the harsher queries that would aid him in his examination. He kept his tone calm, though not cold, trying to somehow gentle the verbal pain he must be causing the boy.

The boy responded mostly in monosyllables, moving as directed with the ease of long practice. There were more contusions and abrasions on his back, all faded as if they were a week or more old. Though Aya checked him thoroughly, there was no sign of cracked or broken ribs. His breathing was clear and easy, chest rising and falling with no effort.

Blinking, wondering if he'd imagined the signs, Aya finally nodded, turning away and giving him a bit of privacy to right himself. "Where's your home?" he asked softly.

The boy pulled the coat up quickly, covering himself once more. He sat there on the couch, shivering, arms wrapped around his torso in much the same pose he'd been in when Aya had entered the cell. "Nowhere," he answered quietly. "Wh-what's going to happen to me? That boy seemed very upset."

"He was. He can deal with it," Aya said, chewing the inside of his cheek in thought. He finally turned back, looking thoughtfully at his charge. "Can you walk now?"

The boy glanced at him and stood hesitantly. He wobbled once, but remained on his feet without assistance. After a long moment, he nodded thoughtfully. "I think so. With a little help."

"How much help?" Aya asked, raising an eyebrow.

The boy blushed faintly, as if embarrassed. "That depends on how far you want me to go," he replied softly.

"Two flights up and down the hall," Aya directed. "Can you handle that?"

"I think so," the boy repeated, and took an unsteady step towards the stairs. He winced as he moved, reaching out instinctively for balance and catching at Aya's arm. "I'm sorry... it's just been so long since I've been out of that cell."

"Sit down," he directed softly, putting away the kit. When he returned, Aya pulled the boy back into his arms, carrying him up the flights of stairs effortlessly. He ignored the curious gazes from Ken and Yohji as he passed them in the hallway, slipping into his room and closing the door firmly behind him before setting the boy down.

The youth sat on the bed, looking adrift and lost in the much-too-large jacket. He peered up at Aya with his wide violet eyes. "Now what?" he asked softly.

"Now, we get you clothing and you rest," Aya said. "Tomorrow, we can worry about where you'll go."

"Here?" the youth asked, looking around curiously. "Is this... is this your room? I don't want to put you out of a bed..."

"Here," Aya nodded, moving to a dresser and rummaging through it. He came up with a soft, worn t-shirt and some drawstring pants. The pants would be too long for the boy, but that could be handled by rolling the cuffs. Handing them over, he turned his back again.

There was a pause, followed by the rustling of fabric. After a moment the boy spoke again. "You can turn around now."

Aya did so, nodding. "Get some rest. I'll be around if you need me," he said, nodding his head toward the bed and holding his hand out for the trench coat.

The boy handed it to him, looking at him curiously. "But... where will you sleep?"

"I'll be fine," Aya dismissed the question. He turned, hanging up the coat before rummaging for more clothing, eventually choosing jeans and a soft button-up shirt. He changed seemingly without modesty, tossing the discarded clothing into a hamper. "Get sleep."

The boy arranged himself on the bed, pulling the covers up over him hesitantly. "W-will you be very far?" he asked quietly.

For a moment, the mask cracked. Aya stood over him, a hand drifting out to brush away the boy's bangs. "How far do you need me to be?" he asked softly, eyes large and gentle.

"I..." the boy turned his head so his face was hidden in the pillow, incidentally brushing his cheek against Aya's fingers. "I'm just... I keep thinking that I'm going to wake up soon," he whispered, his words muffled by the pillow but still understandable. "It's too good to be true... that I'm really out of there..."

"You aren't," Aya said, kneeling and drawing the boy's face back out of the pillow. "I would not leave you there."

The youth stared up at him, tears shining in his eyes though none fell. "You don't even know me," the boy murmured, voice breaking. "Why did you help me? Why would you get yourself in trouble to help me?"

"I can handle it," Aya shook his head, almost letting the shutters down over his eyes. But the tears caught at him, and he held himself from doing so - barely. "No one should live like you were. No one should be forced to endure such misery."

The boy nodded slowly. "W-wakatta. I think... I'd forgotten the good that Earthians can have in them," he murmured, more to himself than to Aya. "I... I think I can sleep now. If you don't go too far."

"Earthians?" Aya raised an eyebrow again, then moved, settling himself against the wall. "I will be right here."

The boy flushed faintly, and burrowed into the covers. Within moments he was sound asleep, clearly exhausted for his ordeal. One small hand crept out to clutch at the pillow beside him, and his brow furrowed, as if he searched for something in his sleep and could not find it. In rest he looked even younger, perhaps fifteen at most.

Hesitantly, Aya moved closer, reaching out and laying one hand atop the fingers clutching at the pillow. He couldn't really understand why the boy tugged at his heartstrings the way he did, but Aya wasn't about to ignore that, either.

Immediately the fingers unclenched from the fabric and twined around his instead, and part of the frown smoothed out of the boy's face as he fell into a more restful sleep. He was the picture of innocence, much like Omi when the youngest Weiß was off guard.

Aya smiled at that, resting his head on his arm as he watched the boy. In the back of his mind, it occurred to him that he'd have to find out the boy's name come morning. But until then, it didn't matter, so long as he looked peaceful for a change.

* * *

 

Aya's eyes slowly opened, soft and violet in the morning light. He blinked when he realized he was seated on the floor, with his head on his bed, until memory returned. Looking up, he stilled when confronted by two huge eyes peering at him solemnly. His hand was still clasped firmly in those warm fingers. Aya felt a faint blush rising in his cheeks and forced himself not to shake his head to dispel the sensation.

"Ohayou," the boy whispered, not moving as if afraid of scaring Aya away. "You... you kept the nightmares away. Thank you..."

"What's your name?" Aya asked, shying away from the idea that he'd done anything to help the boy's nightmares.

The youth blinked at him. "Chihaya," he answered. He released Aya's fingers, blushing faintly himself. "I'm sorry... I've made you uncomfortable."

"Chihaya," Aya tasted the name. "I'm Aya." Slowly he rose, unfolding his body with only the faintest of winces at how stiff he felt.

Chihaya blinked, and smiled faintly. "I knew an Aya once," he murmured. "She was a girl though... and she hated me," he concluded, looking suddenly forlorn.

"She did?" Aya asked, sitting down on the bed beside the boy. "Why?"

Chihaya blinked, and shifted uncomfortably, one hand coming up to tug at his hair in what seemed to be a nervous gesture. "Oh... no reason in particular," he mumbled, hiding his eyes. "Most people... didn't really like me, honestly."

"I won't pry," Aya nodded, sensing Chihaya's need for secrecy. "Can you eat?"

"Food?" Chihaya's eyes widened, and he gave Aya a wistful look. "Real food? Hontou ni?"

"As opposed to what?" Aya blinked, rising and offering Chihaya a hand.

"IVs," Chihaya replied, touching the inside of his arm where all the needle tracks were... or rather, had been. There was no sign of them now.

Aya reached out, grasping the arm and examining it closely. "Incredible," he murmured, smoothing his fingers over the flawless skin. "How did they disappear so quickly?"

The boy's flush darkened, and he tugged on his arm to try to get it back. "I... I'm a fast healer," he whispered, eyes lowered again.

"Very fast," Aya said dryly, then blinked. "Your ribs were cracked, weren't they? When you were in the cell, they were cracked."

"Y-yes..." Chihaya admitted slowly. "They were. But I told you I would be okay."

"Impressive," Aya noted softly. "And very useful, if you find yourself in trouble. I'll assume you can walk, then, today?" He offer Chihaya a hand again, waiting for the young man to take it.

"Assuming my muscles remember how to do it," Chihaya agreed, taking his hand and standing slowly. His legs seemed steadier today, though he still looked lost in Aya's clothing.

"Keep hold of me," Aya suggested, leading him out of the room and into the common kitchen the four assassins shared.

Chihaya clung to him, more for emotional support than physical, it seemed. In the kitchen only Ken was present, though dishes in the sink indicated Omi had come and gone already, headed out for school. Yohji wouldn't be seen for some time yet, of course. Ken looked up as they entered, one eyebrow raised. "Hey," he greeted the two of them. "Who's this?"

Aya spared a brief glance at his teammate, then settled Chihaya at the table. "Chihaya. He'll be a guest here until further notice." He glared half-heartedly at Ken. "Omi has already informed me that his welfare is my responsibility alone," he assured the man, moving to the fridge and pulling out some eggs. They should go down easily enough, provided they were made without too much seasoning.

Ken blinked at him. "Uh... okay..." he agreed mildly, turning to examine Chihaya. The younger boy sat quietly in his chair, eyes on his hands in his lap. "I'm Ken," the ex-soccer-player offered. "You must be the guy Aya rescued last night? How come..." he paused, and shook his head ruefully. "None of my business, I guess."

Aya shot a glance at Ken, then sighed. "Ken lives here, too. You'll likely run into him occasionally," he offered Chihaya.

Chihaya nodded, raising his eyes to briefly look at the other youth. "Yoroshiku onegai shimasu," he murmured, the formal phrase coming automatically. Ken smiled back at him.

"What happened last night, Ken?" Aya asked as he cooked. "Omi said something about robots and bad science fiction?"

Ken shivered, an odd look crossing his face. "It was the WEIRDEST damn thing, Aya," he said, dropping his spoon back into his cereal as Chihaya looked on with interest. "There were these two identical guys - redheads. They were faster than all hell, and stronger than anything I've ever seen. I managed to get inside the guard of one of them, but my claw... it was like punching into solid steel. I ripped his clothes, and I KNOW I cut flesh, because there was blood. But he didn't even seem to notice... and I swear to God there were sparks coming out of his chest."

"Bio-humanoids?" Aya asked, twisting to look at Chihaya curiously. His eyebrow arched, but he didn't seem particularly upset by the idea.

Chihaya nodded. "Yes. They're cyborgs, created to be the ultimate weapon. They're not perfected yet, or you never would have gotten away from them, but he's making progress." His eyes dropped again. "He's been working on it for years, getting funding from various governments all over the world."

"Omi will like that," Aya chuckled. "His fears confirmed. We really _are_ in a bad science fiction film." He shook his head. "We'll have to find a way around them, of course."

Ken made a face. "I don't think *I* like it very much," he admitted, slurping the last of his cereal into his mouth and standing to dump the bowl in the sink. "I'll go open the shop... come down whenever you're ready," he said, waving as he headed for the stairs. "Uh... nice to meet you, Chihaya. Sorry you got dragged into all this."

"Ken, we've been in worse situations. Cyborgs can't beat... _them_ on a good day, I'm sure. Once we know their weakness, we'll win," Aya said firmly, careful not to mention the name of their opposing team. Chihaya didn't need to know _everything_ just yet.

Chihaya watched the dark-haired man clatter down the stairs, then turned to his rescuer. "Now what?" he asked, eyeing the food Aya was preparing hungrily. "What shop did he mean?"

"We run a flower shop downstairs." Aya slid a plate in front of Chihaya piled full of eggs. He'd used half the carton, but it was easy enough to replace. "I work morning shift today. You should rest for a while."

Chihaya dug into the food like a starving puppy, though he was careful not to eat so fast that he would be sick. He stopped after only a few bites, however, sighing. "My stomach isn't used to solid food any more," he admitted, looking a little queasy. "I... could I come sit where you are?" he asked shyly, looking up at Aya. "I'll stay out of the way, I promise..."

Aya considered the request, then nodded. "We'll put you to work," he said, smiling faintly at Chihaya. "Something not too strenuous." He finished eating, wracking his brain for something Chihaya could do before coming up with, "We just got a new shipment of cards in. Could you arrange them in their holders?" The holders were small plexiglass things, the cards the size of business cards. Chihaya would easily be able to sit in a corner and do it, though the task was often an all-day thing for everyone else, given the way they'd have to divide their duties.

Chihaya nodded eagerly, face brightening. "Yes! I can do that."

Aya nodded, allowing a faint smile to grace his lips briefly before he hid the expression behind his standard, emotionless mask. Taking their plates, he scrubbed them clean, then went back to his room to change into a proper work outfit, unable to give Chihaya anything that might fit him. Once that was done, he beckoned the boy downstairs, showing him the shop briefly before setting him to his task and flipping the sign to 'open.'

Buso, the shop cat, wandered out - a cranky calico nicknamed 'Busu' by Ken, who hated everyone but Momoe-san and frequently sent the Weiß boys in search of bandages for scratched limbs. She took one look at Aya, sniffed, and trotted over to Chihaya, where she promptly wound about the boy's ankles, purring like a freight train. Chihaya made a surprised noise, and leaned down to scoop the massive cat into his arms before Aya could warn the boy about her contrary nature. To his shock the cat continued to purr, snuggling up to the boy and head-butting his chin as the youth made small cat-noises back to the animal.

Aya stared at Chihaya for several minutes in bemusement, then angled a glance at Ken, who shrugged. Shaking his head, he brought the box of cards and the holder to Chihaya, setting them down in front of him while remaining well out of the way of the cat. "Are you comfortable?" he asked softly.

Chihaya looked up from where he was rubbing his face in the cat's silky fur, and smiled the brightest smile Aya had ever seen. "Oh, yes!" he exclaimed, nodding vigorously. "She's a lovely cat... I'd forgotten how wonderful cats are." He blinked at the cards Aya had placed before him, and reluctantly released the cat. "Oh... what do I do with these?"

"Pet the cat if you like," Aya said, noting the way Buso clung to Chihaya's lap. "She doesn't like any of us. The cards can wait. It's our job, really, not yours." He watched Chihaya, wondering what it was about the boy that drew the curmudgeonly cat.

Chihaya laughed, a bright silvery sound of pure mirth. "No, she likes you very much," he said. "She just doesn't want you to get over-inflated egos by having someone as wonderful as she is show affection to you." He grinned as he spoke, his fingers running over the cat's back again and again.

Aya raised an eyebrow, shivering slightly at the pure happiness of the boy's laugh. Exchanging another glance with his teammate, he leaned against the table. "And what gives you that idea?"

"Why, she told me so, of course," Chihaya told him matter-of-factly, though his eyes still sparkled with mirth. "Now, what do I do with these cards? I want to help you... it's the LEAST I can do after you rescued me!"

"Hmm," Aya said good-naturedly, stepping forward carefully and setting up the fifteen cards in their slots so that Chihaya knew where each style went. "This is the first of three boxes and holders," he noted. "When you're done, if you're still willing, I'll bring you the next batch."

Chihaya nodded and set to work, a tiny frown of concentration on his face that made him look even cuter. He nearly rivaled Omi for title of 'cutest boy ever to be in a flower shop'. Buso curled up in his lap, apparently content to just sit and purr without any prompting from her newest toy.

Aya set to his duties with single-minded determination, trying and failing to ignore his new charge. His eyes kept returning to Chihaya thoughtfully. He'd sounded so earnest when he'd talked about Buso's attitude... The idea that he could speak to animals was ridiculous. But, he thought, was it any more ridiculous than Schwarz's powers?

Ken sidled up to Aya after several minutes of watching the redhead watch the boy. "Ne, Aya," the younger assassin said quietly, "Did you file your mission report last night? Omi was muttering about it this morning before he left for school, and he was swearing, so you KNOW he's pissed. I know Yohji and I gave him our reports last night..." he trailed off with one eyebrow raised.

Aya's jaw tightened. "No, I did not," he said shortly, expression abruptly darkening. He jerked his attention back to the arrangement he was somehow managing not to mangle. He didn't offer any explanation or excuse to his teammate, furious with himself. What was _wrong_ with him lately?

Ken gave him a disbelieving look. "What's up with you, Aya? It's not like you to break mission procedure... hell, you're usually the one reminding US that we're not there to save people, just to stop the target. And I can't remember the last time you forgot to put in your report. Who IS this kid? Someone you know?"

Aya looked up, meeting Ken's eyes quietly. "No. He's not." He furrowed his brow, glancing back at Chihaya. "He merely reminds me of someone I know. The mission report will be filed this afternoon. Nothing is 'up' with me." He glared down at the flowers.

Ken shrugged. "Your call, Aya. But fair warning, Omi's pissed about something, and I don't need three guesses to tell you what set him off. If I were you, I'd make sure I had that report done by the time Omi gets back." He wandered off as several customers entered the shop, greeting them enthusiastically.


	2. Chapter 2

The day passed quickly enough, Aya focused on the task before him in single-minded frustration. He didn't look at Chihaya once throughout the shift, ignoring the warning voice that told him when Omi was due back. He couldn't understand _why_ Chihaya summoned up such protective instincts in him, but ignored the question, finally looking up after one particularly difficult arrangement to see Omi glaring darkly back at him.

The youngest Weiß dropped his school bag behind the counter, reaching for his apron, though he didn't take his eyes off Aya. "Please tell me you have the report for me," the boy growled. "I really don't want to have to explain to Manx why it's so late!"

"Then let her talk to me," Aya said, removing his apron and hanging it on the rack. "You will have it the moment I am done." His voice was frigid, the syllables dripping ice in a way that Aya had never spoken save in regards to Takatori. He moved toward Chihaya, seeming to ignore the weight of Omi's glare.

Chihaya looked up from where he still sat at the table, happily sorting cards with Buso purring in his lap. At least, he seemed to be working happily, until his eyes met Aya's and the assassin was able to see the strain around them. "I got you in trouble again... I'm sorry," he mumbled under his breath, glancing over Aya's shoulder at Omi. The leader of Weiß was currently surrounded by squealing fangirls and doing his best to fend them off while still smiling politely at them. "It's because I asked you to stay with me last night that you forgot..."

"No blame," Aya directed firmly. "Would you prefer to remain here, or accompany me back upstairs?" he asked, his voice still cold though he allowed warmth to slip into his eyes temporarily.

Chihaya glanced at Omi, at the fangirls, and at Aya. "Uh... with you, if you don't mind," he concluded, sweatdropping at one particularly loud shriek from one of the girls. "They're starting to get on my nerves..." he added, hunching his shoulders. "I'm not used to having so many people around any more."

Aya nodded, waiting for him to dislodge Buso and make his way toward the stairs, the redhead following behind protectively and snarling at anyone who tried to stop either of them. He remained otherwise silent until they were once more enclosed in his room, then turned to Chihaya. "Are you all right?"

Chihaya nodded, sinking down to sit on Aya's bed with a relieved sigh. "Yes, I'm okay. I just... do they do that EVERY day, or were they being especially genki just for my benefit?" he asked.

"Every day," Aya said, reaching immediately for his laptop. "Will you be all right for a few moments while I work on this?"

A bright smile was his answer. "Oh, yes," the boy said, curling up on the bed and turning to watch out the window. The slowly setting sun haloed him in light, creating deep purple highlights in his dark hair. "Do you mind if I open the window?" Chihaya asked, glancing back at him. "I'd like to be able to hear the birds."

"Go ahead," Aya said, brow furrowing as he allowed himself to be briefly distracted. He glanced up, regarding the boy silently for a moment, then returned to his mission report, determined to get the thing in Omi's hands before his teammate exploded.

Chihaya slid the window open, and the bright chirping of the birds outside drifted in, along with the sounds of the street below. Two sparrows flitted in to land on the windowsill and started chirping merrily at the boy. Chihaya's face lit up, and he pulled his knees to his chest and rested his chin on them, smiling at the birds.

Aya worked diligently for a time, keeping tight control on his focus lest he get too distracted yet again. When he finally finished, he sent it to Omi via their network, then shut his laptop down, turning to Chihaya. His breath caught in his throat as he stared at the happy scene before him. He'd never thought to see such emotions _here_.

There were five birds on the windowsill now, all twittering and hopping about. Occasionally Chihaya would laugh his silvery laugh at their antics, though he made an effort to keep the sound quiet, presumably so as not to disturb Aya.

Aya drifted closer, his movements slow as he tried not to startle the birds. He wasn't smiling. His soul felt too heavy for that. But his eyes were soft as they regarded the birds and Chihaya.

One of the sparrows looked straight at him and cheeped loudly, and Chihaya turned to smile at him. It was a sweet smile, full of innocence and hope, though his eyes were heavy with some dark emotion. "Are you finished? We didn't bother you, did we?" the boy queried softly.

"I'm done," Aya answered, voice soft. The smile cut at him more, and he stared at it for a few seconds before abruptly turning away. "You didn't have lunch. You should eat."

Chihaya blinked at him, and the smile faded slowly. "Oh, I... that would be nice. I really don't mean to trouble you..."

He viciously buried the hurt, ignoring it. "Come," he said, heading out of the room and toward the common kitchen again. He wracked his brain, trying to think of something lightweight and easy to digest as he walked.

Chihaya trailed after him like a small shadow, his footsteps hardly making any noise. "Ne... what's going to happen to me?" the boy asked quietly as they entered the kitchen.

"We'll have to find your home," Aya muttered, digging in the vegetable bin. "And return you there."

Chihaya froze in the act of sitting down, looking at him with wide, injured eyes. "I... don't have a home," he whispered, finally sinking down into the chair and fixing his eyes on the surface of the table as though it held the secrets of the universe.

"Everyone has a..." Aya began irritatedly, then paused, thinking about his words for several long minutes. "We'll have to find you a home," he eventually said, grabbing an apple and some cheese. He sliced the apple and cheese as he continued. "After we've found you a new home, obviously, you'll stay there."

Chihaya flushed, and shook his head. "No, it's... it's okay. Really, it's better this way. I'll just... go, and I'll be fine." He lowered his voice and muttered, "Once I'm out of Japan, anyway." Aya didn't think he'd been meant to hear that last comment.

Aya turned, glaring at the boy. "You're my responsibility. I have no intention of dumping you back onto the streets." He set the plate of apple and cheese down abruptly, then sat down opposite Chihaya, no food of his own before him. "You can get that thought out of your head now."

Chihaya picked at the food, not eating any of it. He seemed nervous and a little upset. "What are you going to do with me, then? I can't live off your charity forever. Your... friends... would object, for one thing," he said.

Aya uttered a sharp oath, eyes dark with annoyance. "You and I are going to come up with something that you can do. The rest of them can simply accept the fact or ask me to leave."

Startled, the boy stared back at him, emotions warring in his eyes. "You... I... why do you _care_?" he blurted out.

Aya looked away at that, lips thinning. "Because you remind me of someone."

Chihaya glanced down at his food again, taking a bite of apple and chewing slowly. He swallowed, then muttered to the table, "I can't stay here. It's not safe. He'll find me again, and..." he shuddered, tears welling up in his eyes. "I can't face going back there. Not again. I'd rather die."

"I'll keep you safe," Aya promised, glancing back. He stopped when he caught sight of the tears, eyes widening as his hand made its way, almost of its own accord, across the table to brush Chihaya's cheek softly. "You won't go back there."

The youth leaned into his touch like a kitten rubbing against his hand, nuzzling his cheek into Aya's fingers. The wide violet eyes slipped closed, sending a solitary tear tracking down over the velvet skin of his cheek. "You'll only be hurt if you try to protect me," he whispered, his voice anguished. "He's obsessed, and he'll stop at nothing to get me back. I couldn't bear it if you were hurt because of me."

Aya brushed the tear away carefully, cupping Chihaya's cheek in his hand. "It's my decision to make, Chihaya." His voice was soft and gentle, but implacable.

Chihaya opened his eyes again and stared at Aya thoughtfully. "Who _are_ you?" the boy demanded softly. "Why were you there last night?"

Immediately, the hand pulled away, the eyes flattening. "Does it matter?" Aya asked quietly, rising from the table.

Chihaya tracked him with those wide eyes of his. "Y-yes... please, I'm just... so confused."

Aya growled faintly, raking a hand through his hair. "I was sent to kill him," he finally said, inwardly wincing when he thought of what his teammates would say about such confidences.

The boy blinked at him and studied him for a long minute, before finally shaking his head. "There's more to it than that," he insisted quietly. "There must be. Why did you rescue me? Who sent you?"

"I rescued you because... there was no reason not to," Aya said lamely, then waved his hand. "That's all you get for now. Eat."

Shaking his head, the boy returned to his food. "So much darkness and pain..." he sighed under his breath. "And yet so much light and hope... Earthians are so confusing sometimes!"

"What are Earthians?" Aya almost growled at him. "You've mentioned it twice now."

Chihaya jumped, and looked faintly guilty. "Oh, I... you know. People. Mankind. It's... it's just a term for humanity. You know, because y...we live on Earth."

"...Oh." Aya nodded, looking out the window. He wanted desperately to hole back up in his room, but given the boy's previous reactions to the idea of being away from him, he decided that it might not be a good idea to leave him in the common area... particularly not until after he'd introduced Chihaya to Yohji.

Chihaya ate his food slowly, glancing at his companion from time to time. "Aya-san," he finally said hesitantly. "You seem uncomfortable..."

"I'm fine," Aya shook his head. "Eat."

"But I'm done!" Chihaya protested, and indeed most of the apple and cheese was gone. "I can't eat any more... gomen..."

"Ah," Aya nodded, padding over and taking the plate to clean it off before Chihaya could think to do so. "Good."

He was just finishing with the dishes when clattering footsteps sounded on the stairs, heralding Ken's breathless arrival. The ex-soccer-player glanced at both of them, and announced, "Manx is downstairs. She wants to talk to us about last night."

Aya nodded. "Go to my bedroom, please, Chihaya. I'll be back soon," he said, moving toward the door, a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He was _not_ looking forward to this meeting.

In the mission room, Omi and Yohji had already gathered - Omi sat backwards in his computer chair with his arms resting on the back of the couch, and Yohji was sprawled over the couch. Manx stood before the TV screen, arms crossed and foot tapping impatiently. She frowned at the two remaining members as they made their way down the stairs. "Boys," she greeted them tersely.

Aya settled against the wall, hands folded across his chest as he regarded her silently. He waited, face set in a darker scowl than normal.

"I must say that Kritiker is very disappointed," Manx said with no preamble once they were all settled. "It's not like you to allow a target to escape. And Bombay, I've never seen you so late with a mission report," she added, scowling at the leader of the team. Omi flushed under her scrutiny, but said nothing in his defence. If there was one thing Aya had to say about his teammates, it was that they stuck together under fire, even from their own superiors.

"The mission report was late due to me, Manx," Aya said calmly. "I was late with my portion of the report." He stared at her, waiting for her to say anything else.

Manx switched her scowl to him. "Unacceptable," she snapped out. "This whole mission was unacceptable. I expect better from the four of you." She eyed them all coldly. "Now, what is your plan for recovering from this? I don't need to remind you that the target is still your responsibility."

"Does Kritiker happen to have any more information on the target?" Aya asked coldly. "Like what his bodyguards are, or what exactly he was doing with the living subject squirreled away in a lab cell and covered with track marks and bruises?" He padded forward, furious for some unknown, unexplainable reason. "Care to explain exactly what he _is_ doing, Manx?"

Manx watched him, unflappable as usual. "All the information we had on the target was given to you, as usual, Abyssinian," she said coldly. "Bodyguards have never been an issue for you before, with the understandable exception of Schwartz. As for what he was doing with living subjects in his lab... that is WHY you were sent after him, obviously."

Omi spoke up at that point, casting a wary glance at his livid teammate. "From what I was able to determine from the information I got off his computers, he's basically continuing the work of Takatori Masafumi and one of his associates, a man named 'Ashiya'. Our target, Morikawa Daiki, stole their research notes and is now attempting to create a 'perfect soldier' - one that can be replicated at will, creating entire armies of unbeatable warriors like the two we fought last night."

Aya waited silently for Manx to respond, arms still folded and hands clenched tightly.

Manx nodded. "Yes, that was in your report. Based on the information, we've been able to discover that he has the funding and backing of several governments, of which Japan and the United States are only two. None of the countries realize that he is getting funding from anyone but them, as far as we can tell. Each government thinks they will be the sole recipient of the new race of soldiers. In short, he has a great deal of funding and a free reign with his experiements."

"And precisely how do we fight these 'perfect soldiers'?" Aya bit out, finally stalking back to his place against the wall. Part of him wondered whether Chihaya was all right alone, and he scowled even deeper, realizing that once more, his attention had shifted to the boy he'd returned with.

Manx shrugged. "That, Abyssinian, is Weiß's problem. He hasn't perfected them, according to the records Bombay lifted from his computer. They CAN be killed, it just takes a great deal of effort. Your best bet is probably for Balinese to contain them with his wire while Abyssinian or Siberian cut them into pieces. Your main problem at this point will be _finding_ Morikawa... he's gone to ground, and none of our sources have been able to find him or his creations."

"Really?" Aya asked thoughtfully, wondering how his charge would take that. The boy had been so terrified of the idea... perhaps knowing that the man was in hiding would reassure him, though it did little enough to make the swordsman happy. "Hmm."

Omi made a frustrated noise. "How are we supposed to find him? If he's really got as much funding as you say, Manx, he could set up a whole other laboratory somewhere, and we wouldn't know about it until people started going missing again, or the bodies of the failed experiments started turning up!"

"We'll figure it out, Omi," Aya said, when no answer seemed forthcoming from Manx. "It is, after all, _our_ job," he added, glaring at her.

"I-I can help," a small voice came from the top of the stairs. Turning, Aya saw that the door hadn't closed properly behind Ken... Chihaya perched on the threshold, peering down at them with his wide eyes. "If you want to draw him out of hiding... you could use me as b-bait," the boy offered hesitantly.

Aya snarled a curse, moving toward the stairs. At the base, he turned back, waiting for Chihaya to descend to him while his body tensed to expect a fight.

Omi had buried his head in his hands, and Yohji was staring at the boy in surprise. Manx scowled at them, planting her hands on her hips as Chihaya crept down the stairs to stand just behind Aya. "Who is this?" the redhead woman demanded.

" _This_ is the living subject we rescued," Aya growled at her.

"Why is he HERE?" she growled, tapping her foot again. "This is completely against procedure, Abyssinian!"

"Deal with it," he told her tightly, barely managing to keep himself from saying something far nastier instead. "I brought him here."

She opened her mouth, clearly intending to say something scathing, but Chihaya beat her to the punch. "It's my fault," the boy insisted, peering around Aya's shoulder. "I begged him not to take me to a hospital, and I was injured, so he brought me here to take care of me. Please don't be angry with him! I can help, to pay you back for rescuing me... I'll be b-bait, like I said. Nothing will draw Morikawa out faster."

Across the room Omi lifted his head and frowned at them. "We are NOT going to put an innocent civilian up for bait!" the teenager declared firmly.

"Nor will I leave him to the streets," Aya snarled.

"Please let me help," the boy insisted, focusing on Omi. "He would talk to me, ranting about his plans, sometimes. I know a lot of things about what he was doing... I know he wasn't planning to give the soldiers to ANY of the governments he was working for, he was going to keep them for himself and take over. You HAVE to stop him - and soon, he's almost done his research!"

"Then talk to Omi," Aya said, gentling his tone as he spoke to Chihaya, though his eyes stayed firmly affixed to Manx. "Tell him everything you can about the plans... details, places, people, that sort of thing."

Manx shrugged. "Planning is up to you," she said, heading for Aya and the stairs. "I don't want to hear that he got away again. As for you..." she stopped about a foot away from Aya and speared Chihaya with a look. "You're involved in something far over your head... but you wouldn't be the first nor the last to join us in such a manner." She looked around at all of them. "If you decide to use him, let us know. If you decide _not_ to use him, let us know anyway. He knows who you are, and that makes him a potential danger. You know the procedures." She turned back to Aya, clearly waiting for him to move away from the stairs.

Slowly, Aya stepped aside, drawing Chihaya with him and waiting for Manx to leave. He suddenly had a rather bad headache... Chihaya didn't deserve to join Kritiker. The boy deserved happiness... and that was the one thing Aya could guarantee that Kritiker would not provide.

Manx stalked past them up the stairs, and an uncomfortable silence reigned in the room after she'd left. Finally Omi cleared his throat, looking at Aya and his ward. "Well?" the youth asked quietly. "It's up to the two of you. I won't deny that he may be our only chance of getting to Morikawa, if what he says is true."

Aya stared at Omi for several seconds, then looked to Chihaya. "You're putting yourself in too much danger," he muttered for the boy's ears alone.

Chihaya stared back at him, and didn't bother to lower his voice. "I'd be in danger regardless," he replied. "Ashiya was obsessed with me, and Morikawa seems to have inherited his obsession. He'll stop at nothing to find me. Wouldn't it be better for me to PLAN my next meeting with him? Knowing that you'll be there to stop him from taking me?"

Aya's jaw tightened, his gut twisting horribly at the thought. But... the boy made sense, much as he hated it. "See if Omi can get enough information first that your plan isn't necessary," he finally said, eyes never leaving Chihaya's. "But... we'll use it as a backup."

Omi sighed, shaking his head. "All right, then. For now... his codename will be 'Calico'. Aya's, he's STILL your responsibility. Officially, he's a friend of mine who's come to stay with us after his parents died in a car crash - that will explain why he's here and why he doesn't go to school. I assume you don't have family or someone who is going to be searching for you?" he asked Chihaya, and the boy nodded. "Well, that's one break, at least. Tomorrow is Sunday - the shop is closed and I don't have school, so we'll spend the day going over what he knows and making a new plan. Until then... it's late. We might as well all get some sleep - Morikawa probably isn't going anywhere tonight."

Aya nodded, inwardly breathing a sigh of relief. A brief reprieve before he had to cast Chihaya into danger. He hated the idea, but he could live with it, knowing that he'd be there to protect the boy. "All right," he murmured softly, agreeing to the plan. Another long, stiff night on the floor... and he wouldn't trade that spot. The shy smile on Chihaya's face was worth the stiffness.

By the time they made it back up the stairs into Aya's room, the redheaded assassin had taken about all the side-long stares he could stand from his teammates. At least no one was saying anything, at least not yet. Chihaya received awkward 'goodnight's from both Ken and Yohji - Omi had remained behind in the mission room to make plans.

Aya sighed, shutting the door firmly behind him as soon as he and Chihaya were inside. He closed his eyes, resisting the urge to rub his temple. The night's events had left him with something of a headache, and the prospect of sleeping left him with little hope for ridding himself of it.

Chihaya perched on the bed awkwardly, still wearing the same over-large clothing he'd slept in the night before. "Anou..." he said softly, not quite looking Aya in the eyes. "Are you... mad at me?"

Aya dragged his eyes open, staring at Chihaya thoughtfully. "No," he finally murmured, moving toward his dresser and searching for another outfit for the boy to wear. "But you shouldn't have followed me. Chihaya, there's a _reason_ I tried to keep you _out_ of it!"

"You need me," the boy insisted, showing a stubborn streak that hadn't really be evident before. His mouth was set in a firm line, and his eyes were narrowed. "If you don't use me to draw him out, he'll go to ground and you won't hear from him again for years. By then it will be too late. I can help you... I WANT to help you!"

"Why?!" Aya snarled, twisting to glare back at Chihaya.

The boy flinched at his tone, but didn't lose his militant expression. "Because... Because I have to. Otherwise he'll take over everything, and the whole WORLD will fall to pieces. I can't just sit back and let people suffer, knowing that *I* could have done something to stop it!" His words were strained with emotion, as though they had been torn straight out of his heart. His fists were clenched in the sheets, knuckles white with tension.

"You _don't_ want my life, Chihaya! You may think you do, but it isn't pretty or neat or... _DAMMIT_ , Chihaya!" He stalked closer, grabbing the boy's shirt and hauling him close. "I'm trying to fucking _protect_ you!"

Chihaya didn't protest the rough treatment, but his eyes darkened and stared straight back into Aya's with conviction. "You have _no_ idea of the hell that I have already gone through for my convictions, Aya," he replied, face twisting with remembered agony and grief. "I chose my path a very long time ago, and I won't back away from it now. Despite what I know I look like to you, I am not a child! And the BEST way for you to protect me is to let me help with this! I'll only be safe when he's dead and his records and research destroyed."

Aya growled faintly, unable to find anything to say. He almost threw the boy back, but hurting him would do nothing for their cause, and... he found he couldn't, not when he stared down into those huge, wounded eyes. He stilled himself, setting Chihaya down onto the bed carefully. "Forgive me," he muttered, turning toward the dresser once more.

Chihaya sighed, curling up into a ball as he often seemed to do. "There's nothing to forgive," he said, but his voice was weary and choked with emotions. "You're trying to do your best. I'm sorry I interfered, but I'm trying to stop this before the entire situation gets out of hand. I can't do it alone - I can't stand to face him by myself. You're all I have..." the last words were whispered into his knees, barely audible to Aya.

"You need sleep," Aya said roughly, hands clenching atop the dresser. He stared down at them for several minutes, then jerked open one of the drawers, searching for another t-shirt.

"So do you," Chihaya replied. "I won't take your bed again. I'm healed now... YOU take the bed, and I'll sleep on the floor. I've had worse beds."

He turned again, glaring at Chihaya once more, though the weary gaze was more than a little bitter. "Chihaya," he muttered. "Don't start. You are under my care, you will be cared for."

Chihaya glared right back at him, not budging an inch. In point of fact, he actually slid off the bed, standing in front of Aya and tilting his head back to look the taller man in the eyes. "What protection will you be to me if you're too tired and stiff from sleeping on the floor?"

"We'll work something out tomorrow. For now, _you_ take the bed." Aya stared down at him, fists clenched again. "I'm not debating this with you."

Chihaya gave him that stubborn look once more, and dropped gracefully down to sit right where he'd been standing. He leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes, for all the world looking like he was preparing to go to sleep right there. "Leave me alone, I'm sleeping," he announced, shifting just a bit to get more comfortable.

Aya growled, scooping him up into his arms and carting him to the bed, dropping him on it unceremoniously. " _Now_ you are," he announced, lips twitching as the ridiculousness of the scene slowly began to penetrate his irritation.

Chihaya opened his eyes and stared petulantly up at him. "I will _not_ take your bed and make you sleep on the floor!" he protested vehemently. "You are sleeping in this bed tonight!"

"The only way that will happen tonight is for me to sleep _with_ you, because you are sleeping in a bed tonight," Aya snarled.

"Fine!" Chihaya snapped back. He scooted over until his back was pressed against the wall, freeing up half of the VERY narrow bed. "Then climb in."

Aya stared for a moment, then sighed. Perhaps he could sneak out once Chihaya was asleep, he thought, slipping into the bed fully dressed. It didn't take him long to realize that there was no possible way to sleep in the bed without touching Chihaya. "There's not room for the two of us," he tried.

The boy looked back at him in the darkness, the light from the windows highlighting the whites of his eyes. His gaze was uncertain, though his expression was still firm. "If you really cannot stand to touch me, then I'll get out," he said.

Aya blinked, startled by the comment. "Turn over," he said after a moment, the words far gentler than he'd intended or expected.

Chihaya blinked at him, then turned obediently, facing the wall with his back inches from Aya's body.

Aya hesitated a moment, then moved closer, until their body heat mingled in the scant half-inch of air still separating them. He curled his legs along Chihaya's, molding his position into a mirror image. His arm draped over his side, though it suddenly ached to draw the boy against him. Flinching at the thoughts, he closed his eyes.

Chihaya sighed and snuggled back into him, his hand coming down to catch Aya's and hold the older man's arm close around him. He tucked his dark head in under the redhead's chin. "Mmm... this is nice," he murmured, and Aya could hear the soft smile in his voice. "It's been a long time since I was held like this..." There was a resounding grief echoing in his voice as he spoke, the pain masked and hidden but not altogether banished.

Aya shivered, tightening his grip on Chihaya slightly. "How long?" he whispered into the boy's ear. He stared at the back of his eyelids, trying to quell the thoughts before they could begin. Just because he hadn't felt someone against him in... forever, really... was no reason to assume anything. Or to indulge in anything. Or to... to... His head tilted forward, forehead resting against Chihaya's hair.

"Years," Chihaya whispered, his voice already muzzy with oncoming sleep. "Not since... K-Kagetsuya..." The name was spoken with deep emotion, a pain that was still raw and bleeding inside.

"Chihaya," Aya whispered, voice breaking slightly. "It's okay. I'll protect you."

The boy nodded and snuggled a little closer to him, his breathing evening out into the patterns of sleep as he drifted off.

* * *

 

Aya's eyes drifted open, his first thought of warmth and comfort. His face dropped slightly, lips whispering against fabric covered skin. It felt odd, though not entirely _wrong_. Still, Aya's brain began whispering that something was amiss, and he dragged himself more firmly into consciousness.

He finally pulled everything together, blinking at the armful of male he held against him, the boy's hips pressed against his thigh. Chihaya had turned in his sleep, winding arms around Aya's upper body and draping one leg over Aya's. The touch was having a likely-undesired effect, awareness on a purely physical level. "Shit..."

Chihaya moaned and nuzzled against Aya's chest, clearly dreaming. Given the warm hardness pressed tightly to Aya's hip, it wasn't difficult to figure out _what_ the boy was dreaming of. "Kagetsuya..." escaped Chihaya's lips on the breath of a moan, his lips whispering over Aya's thinly-covered skin.

The name broke something inside of Aya, and he grabbed Chihaya's shoulders, propelling the boy up and growling at him. "Chihaya, wake up!"

"Ah! What? What? I'm up!" Chihaya protested, his eyes flying open as his hands came up to hang on to Aya's arms. He blinked several times before his eyes actually focused, and then he looked bemused. "Wha... Aya? What happened?"

Aya growled again, the sound faint but there, then set Chihaya gently back onto the bed, rolling away from him before the boy could see the reaction he'd had. "Tonight," he said, once he was sitting up, "we sleep in different beds." His voice was tight. It hurt, thinking of what Chihaya must have gone through. The boy was clearly no older than fifteen, but if his morning reaction was any indication... he'd already had at least one lover.

Chihaya flushed, scrambling to pull the sheets into his lap, clearly attempting to hide his body's reaction. "I... I'm sorry!" he blurted out, trembling with distress. He looked ready to cry. "I'm so, _so_ sorry! I'll sleep on the floor, or wherever you want me... it's my fault. I'm so sorry!"

Aya turned immediately at Chihaya's tone. "Chihaya," he said, reaching out before he could think and drawing the boy back against his body, curling his arms around him protectively. "It's not _your_ fault. It's okay. Don't apologize." Instinctively, his hand stroked over Chihaya's hair, the motion soothing.

"But... but you're disgusted," the boy whispered brokenly. "I kn-know... Japanese society... it's... I was dreaming. I'm sorry..."

"Of _course_ I'm disgusted," Aya said firmly. "With _him_ ," he clarified, "not with you. It's okay."

Chihaya blinked, peeking up at Aya from under his bangs. "With who?" he asked, clearly confused.

"Kagetsuya," Aya said shortly, still holding Chihaya close.

Chihaya's brow furrowed, and he stared up at the taller man. "Kagetsuya?" he repeated, bewildered. "But... why would you be disgusted with him, and not with me? I don't understand..."

"You're a child, Chihaya," Aya said softly, patiently. "We're supposed to _protect_ you, not take advantage of you!"

Chihaya's eyes widened. "You... you think I... that he..." he started to snicker, then to giggle, then to laugh outright. Within moments he had his hand clamped over his mouth, trying to stifle the peals of laughter.

Aya stiffened, jaw tight. Somehow, he held onto his self-control, though the thread was thin.

When Chihaya finally wound down, he had tears of laughter in his eyes and was gasping for breath. "Oh! Oh, I'm sorry... I know it doesn't seem very funny to you, it's just..." He paused, took a deep breath, and got full control of himself. "I'm not a child," he said firmly, staring straight into Aya's eyes. "I know I look like one, but I'm NOT. I'm much older than I look. It..." he hesitated, then continued, "it's connected to the way that I heal so quickly. Aging is just a form of damage, after all... you age because your cells start breaking down and become unable to reproduce themselves properly. I'm older than you are, Aya."

"You don't know how old _I_ am," Aya ground out, glaring at Chihaya. Somewhere in the pit of his stomach, he felt something flipflop, though he shied away from examining it too closely.

Chihaya raised an eyebrow at him. "Somewhere around twenty, I'd guess. Right?"

"Yes," Aya nodded, staring down at Chihaya.

"Well, then, I'm older than you," Chihaya confirmed. "And _no_ , I won't tell you how _much_ older," he added quickly before Aya could think to ask. "Just... older, and that's all that matters."

"...Fine," Aya sighed, giving up. He still had the uncomfortable suspicion that even though Chihaya was old enough _now_ (at least according to him), Chihaya still hadn't been old enough at the time, and the thought bothered him.

His thoughts must have been clear on his face, for Chihaya sighed and raked his bangs out of his eyes. "Kagetsuya did _not_ 'take advantage' of me, Aya. If anything, _I_ seduced _him_ , all right? And I knew exactly what I was doing at the time. I never expected it to *work*," he muttered to himself under his breath, "but that's beside the point."

He pondered that thought for a few moments before becoming suddenly aware that he still had a lapful of Chihaya, his arms wound around the boy... no, man... and holding him close. Immediately, he released Chihaya, murmuring a quick apology.

Chihaya pulled away from him slowly, the frown returning to his face. "Aya? Does it... bother you? That I... think of men that way?" he asked softly. "I know Japanese society believes it's... repulsive and un-natural..."

"No," Aya shook his head. "Perhaps it should, but no." His words were clipped and distant, his eyes firmly affixed to the window behind them.

"Thank you for that," Chihaya said quietly, eyes downturned. "I won't... touch you again. It obviously upsets you. I am... very sorry," he finished in formal language.

"Chihaya, you don't have to be afraid of me," Aya said suddenly, rising and making his way to the dresser once more, as though the piece of furniture might suddenly magically offer a way out of their fights. "Just because we slept together once does not mean that I am going to attack you the moment I feel... 'horny'," he said, capping the dry words with a crude expression he'd picked up from Yohji.

Chihaya looked up at him, startled. "You... the moment you..." He shook his head. "I was going to say the same thing to _you_!" he exclaimed.

Aya sighed, leaning against the furniture and looking at Chihaya. "I am interested in males, too," he admitted. "It is just one reason I was not comfortable sharing the bed with you. I did not want you to get the wrong ideas." His words were carefully chosen, his gaze firm.

The boy... he really could not bring himself to think of Chihaya as anything other than a teenager, despite his words... blinked slowly at him. "Oh. Well, then... I mean... I trust you. I know you wouldn't do anything to me that I didn't want you to. So... it's no big deal, right? Unless you're nervous that _I'll_ do something to you?"

 _I know you wouldn't do anything to me that I didn't want you to._ The words echoed in Aya's brain, his mind suddenly coming up with a dozen images of things he could do to Chihaya. His stomach rolled slightly, still caught in the age issue. "No," he finally whispered. "No, I’m not."

Chihaya stared up at him trustingly. "Then it's okay, right? I... I liked having you there. I didn't have any nightmares... I haven't slept soundly through the night since..." He shook his head again. "Not for a long time, anyway. I promise I'll try not to... glomp you in your sleep again," he added, blushing badly.

Aya stared back, finally slumping slightly forward. "It's okay," he agreed softly, glancing up at Chihaya before padding to him, sitting down beside the boy. "It's okay," he said again.

Chihaya hugged him tightly, then pulled away to jump to his feet. He frowned and tugged at his now VERY wrinkled clothing. "I... don't suppose I could have a shower?" he asked wistfully. "And maybe a change of clothes?"

"Yes," Aya nodded. "We... we need to get you some of your own clothing soon," he added, watching Chihaya move.

The boy paused and frowned. "Mmm... I don't have any money right now," he said, muttering more to himself than to Aya. "Anything I had before Morikawa grabbed me is long gone by now..."

"Money is not an issue, as long as we stay within a budget I arrange," Aya waved away the concern.

"I... don't want to spend your money," Chihaya said, blinking at him again. "I'll find a way to pay you back... somehow..."

"Pay me back by staying away from what I do," Aya said. His arms were propped on his knees, fingers laced together as his shoulders drooped down. He stared at his hands, trying to figure out how to explain without leaving Chihaya even _more_ exposed to the danger of his lifestyle.

Chihaya shook his head. "Are you even _listening_ to anything I've told you, Aya?" he demanded in exasperation. "Morikawa will come after me regardless of whether I'm working with you or not. I'm in danger as long as he is alive. I'd MUCH rather have you guarding me, with a chance to end this once and for all!"

"I mean _after_ that," Aya scowled. "We're _not_ the 'good guys', Chihaya. We're just not as bad scum as they are!" He rose, pacing to the boy and taking his upper arms in two strong hands, the grip almost too tight. "We're _killers_ , Chihaya. We're the lesser of the evils, that's all."

"I..." Chihaya faltered, unable to look him in the eyes. "I don't pretend to understand your situation, Aya. I can't imagine how someone like you could be involved in something like this, let alone someone like Omi or Ken! All I'm really focused on right now is stopping Morikawa. After that... well, we'll have to see, I guess."

"There is no 'we'll have to see', Chihaya," Aya said, abandoning one arm to drag his chin up, forcing their eyes to meet. "You're better than this."

Chihaya laughed - not his usual beautiful laugh, but a short, bitter sound. "You have no idea what you're talking about," the boy replied. "But right now it's not important."

"That runs both ways, Chihaya. Maybe I don't understand you as well as I think, but you certainly don't understand me, either. I _will_ protect you from this, if it is in my power." Aya sighed, staring into Chihaya's eyes for several moments longer, then pulling the boy into a tight, tension-filled hug.

Chihaya rested his forehead on Aya's shoulder for a long moment, before tightening his arms briefly and stepping away. "Thank you," he said quietly. "It... means a lot to me that you care enough to try to protect me. Now... aren't we supposed to have a meeting with Omi?"

"Get your shower and change clothes," Aya sighed, heart aching for Chihaya. The boy's bitterness had shaken him... badly. He turned, digging out the clothes he'd abandoned last night. "I'll go deal with Omi. Join us downstairs when you can, all right?"

Chihaya nodded and accepted the new clothes, disappearing into the hallway. After a moment Aya heard the bathroom door slide shut, and the water began to run.

He slumped onto the bed, staring blindly at the floor for several minutes as he waited for his brain to kick in. Everything had gone haywire, first last night, and then this morning. At this rate, he mused as he rose from the bed once more, ignoring it and heading for the doorway, he would regret saving Chihaya by the end of the day.


	3. Chapter 3

Ken waved to him as he passed through the flower shop, and by some miracle Yohji was already sitting at the table, yawning his way through a cup of coffee. Continuing down the stairs, Aya found Omi waiting for him as he'd expected, the boy seated at his computer with a small scowl on his face, typing furiously. Omi looked up as Aya came down the stairs. "Ohayou, Aya-kun," he was greeted. "Where's Chihaya-kun?"

"Showering. He'll be here in a moment," Aya said, dragging a chair over and sitting down in it. "What's wrong?" He was tensed, ready to defend Chihaya, though he _still_ couldn't understand his reactions to the boy.

"There's still no sign of Morikawa," Omi admitted with a defeated sigh. "It looks like using Chihaya-kun as bait really _is_ our only option right now. I don't like it... he's an innocent, he's got NO training, and I don't want to get him involved with Kritiker if we can avoid it. But right now, it looks like we might not be able to avoid it - especially since he's already seen as much as he has."

"I know," Aya nodded, raking a hand through his hair, letting the fingers massage the back of his neck briefly. "Omi... I apologize." He let his hands lace together, staring at Omi for a moment.

Omi sighed and rubbed at his forehead as if he had a headache. "What's done is done, and we can't undo it now. We'll just have to deal with it. In the end, it may be for the best that you brought him back here, since it looks like he's our only hope of solving this case. But don't make a habit of it, please!"

"I don't intend to," Aya growled, the anger obviously directed inward. "Something about him... I couldn't leave him, Omi. We've all had people that affect us that way. It was just... finally... my turn," he sighed.

"Mm," Omi nodded agreement, sighing as he leaned back in his chair. "I guess I can understand. He's got... such big, hurt, innocent eyes, doesn't he? Even _I_ feel like I'm whipping a puppy dog every time I say something the least little bit negative to him."

Aya chuckled faintly. "At least I'm a bastard by nature," he admitted. "It's no easier, but I can pretend for a while that I don't care." His hand slid over his face, wiping away the feelings. "Let's try to contain his knowledge, all right? I had no intention of him having _anything_ to do with Weiß beyond our rescue of him. I _don't_ want him working with Kritiker."

Footsteps on the stairs warned them that someone was on their way down. Moments later Chihaya appeared, freshly scrubbed and drowning as usual in Aya's too-large clothes. "Okay, I'm here," the boy announced, still pink-cheeked from the heat of his shower. "I'm sorry I took so long."

"Grab a chair," Aya said, glancing at him then looking back to Omi solemnly.

Chihaya sat down on the couch, and Omi came around to perch on the edge of one of the chairs, spreading several file folders out over the table. "All right, this is what we know of Morikawa's operation," Omi said, gesturing at the files. "Everything was pulled or halted last night, right after Morikawa got away. He hasn't been seen since, nor have those two bodyguards of his. He's gone to ground, and we really don't have much hope of finding him." He looked at Chihaya. "What makes you so sure he'll come out to get you?"

Chihaya shifted nervously on the couch. "His predecessor, Ashiya, was obsessed with me," he admitted quietly. "I have... some unusual abilities. Healing, for one, which I think is what he was trying to breed into his bio-humanoids. Ashiya died several years ago, but he must have left records detailing the research he'd done on me. Morikawa found me when I came back to Japan some time ago, and grabbed me and took me to his lab. He's convinced I am the key to completing his life's work... he'll do anything to find and keep me."

Aya nodded. "It would make sense. How better to have a perfect soldier than by breeding healing into them? Adding that to a mindless need to obey orders and kill..."

Omi bit his lip thoughtfully. "So, he's likely to come after you regardless of whether you get involved with us, then?" he asked, Chihaya nodded, and the other boy sighed. "It's probably just as well that we'll be watching you, then. At least we can make sure you've got a tracker on you, so we can get to you before he can do anything to you." He rummaged in his pockets for a moment, before producing the tiny tracking device they'd used on Sakura during the mission involving the mysterious organ thieves. "The range on this isn't much, but if you keep the transmitter on you at all times, and we've always got someone near you with the tracker, you'll be fine." He frowned as he handed the tiny transmitter to Chihaya. "You're going to have to spend lots of time in public places, so that he can spot you. And we'll have to have one of us with you at all times." He glanced pointedly at Aya.

"Obviously, that will be my job," Aya said, smirking faintly at the pointed look. "I'd rather keep it down to one anyway, two in a pinch. The less he knows about us, the better. At least then we'll have some aces up our sleeves. Right now, I'm nothing more than a faceless stranger who stole you from his lab," he added, to Chihaya. "I won't register as a threat to him, no matter where he sees us. He doesn't know about my training or abilities."

Omi nodded. "That sounds good. Chihaya-kun, I assume you don't object?" Chihaya shook his head. "Okay, then. Aya-kun, the three of us will take over your shifts in the store for the foreseeable future. Your job is to take Chihaya-kun to as many public places as you can, and make sure he's seen, then track him when he's taken. Just like we did with Sakura-san. Chihaya-kun, don't worry if you're grabbed... we'll be able to get to you within minutes."

"Hai... I understand," Chihaya nodded. He smiled tentatively at Aya. "I apologize to putting you all to so much trouble. Hopefully this will be over soon. He was close to making a breakthrough with me - he'll be desperate to get me back."

"Let's hope you're right," Aya nodded, looking back to Omi. "Public places... any suggestions?"

Omi shrugged. "Parks, cafes, malls... places with lots of people. I'd suggest school, but you can't follow him there... maybe we could get him enrolled at my school?" Omi looked at the boy measuringly. "You're a little young to be believable in my grade, though, and if we're not in the same class you'd be at risk."

"I'm older than I look, but I've never been through formal schooling," Chihaya told them. "I have NO idea where I would test out in your school system. Really high in some places, really low in others, most likely."

"That's the way most people are, whether or not they've been through schooling," Aya shrugged. "Malls... I need to get him something to wear anyway. He wasn't exactly fully clothed in the lab," Aya admitted, scowling at the memory.

Chihaya plucked self-consciously at the hem of the overlarge shirt he was wearing. "Clothes would be nice," he agreed wistfully. "But I REALLY don't like the thought of making you pay for them, Aya-san..."

Omi interrupted him. "Well, that's one thing you WON'T have to worry about," he said, giving the other youth a small smile. "You're getting paid for this mission, same as the rest of us. I made sure of that. It'll be enough to buy you several new wardrobes, if you like. I've set up a safe bank account for you that you can access online or over the phone, in case you need to get money without exposing yourself."

"However," Aya said, spearing Chihaya with a look. "You're starting over from scratch. You'll need that money to live on once this is over, _and_ while in this mission, your welfare is primarily my responsibility."

Chihaya gave him the stubborn look Aya was coming to know so well. "I WILL pay for my own clothing, Aya-san!" he protested. "I'm not planning to go blow all my money the moment you let me out of sight, but I won't allow you to spend your money on me. Surely you have other things it needs to be spent on, or you wouldn't be working in a job like this in the first place!" Omi choked on the sip of coffee he'd just taken, bringing a hand up to cover his mouth as his eyes danced.

Aya glared at Omi for several seconds, then shrugged. "Then consider this... a bonus. Hazard pay, if you will. The rest of us are trained for this sort of thing. _You_ are not."

"It shouldn't come out of YOUR pay," Chihaya argued, clearly not willing to be dissuaded. "However much it is that I'm being paid, it's much more than I had before. I will survive... I always do," he added softly, closing his eyes as if in grief.

"We'll sort it out later," Aya said in frustration. "So... mall today. Obviously, I'll have my cell phone on and active. What else, Omi? Special precautions, ideas?"

"Stay close to him," Omi said, shrugging. "And make it believable... you're going to need a cover story for why he's staying with us, and why you're spending every waking minute with him."

"Then it would make more sense to say he's connected to _me_ , wouldn't it?" Aya asked, frowning in thought. "Cousin, or somesuch, perhaps."

"Why would you spend every moment of your time - possibly for several weeks running - with a cousin?" Omi wanted to know. "It's a thought, definitely, but we need to make sure we have all the details in place before we leave this room. Ken-kun and Yohji-kun and I are going to need to know them as well, so that we won't trip up your story."

"I don't have any other ideas," Aya shook his head. "I have no idea why I'd spend every moment of my time with _anyone_ really." He glanced at Chihaya, brow furrowed. "What do you think? This has to be your cover story, too."

Chihaya blushed faintly, and his eyes widened. "I... I don't know..." he stammered. "The only person I ever spent that much time with was K-Kagetsuya."

Aya choked, staring at Chihaya for several minutes. "I don't think that's a good cover story," he finally said, voice slightly strangled.

"What?" Omi asked, glancing back and forth between the two of them.

Aya looked back at Omi, cheeks faintly red and eyes flat and cold. "Lovers."

Omi raised an eyebrow at Chihaya. "If you have a boyfriend out there somewhere who's going to be looking for you, we need to know that," he said coolly. "For that matter, we need to know if ANYone will be looking for you."

Chihaya shook his head, blush fading to be replaced by a sad, lost look in his expressive eyes. "No, there's no one. I don't have any family and Kagetsuya's... gone."

Aya nodded, lacing his fingers together and leaning forward slightly as he thought. He said nothing to Chihaya's words, unable to find anything to say that didn't sound too sympathetic or dismissive.

Omi leaned back in his chair and chewed on his lip for a few moments, before sighing. "I hate to say it, but pretending that you're lovers WOULD be the best solution," the youngest Weiß said reluctantly. "I can make him ID that will prove he's over twenty, even if he doesn't look like it, so you won't get into any trouble Aya-kun. Otherwise Morikawa is going to be suspicious that Chihaya-kun suddenly has someone following him around everywhere. He'll smell a trap, and he won't go for it. It'll also give you more excuses to take him to public places... on dates."

Aya twitched faintly at that, staring at Omi in a kind of bewildered fascination. The first words to come into his head - "Who are you and what have you done to my teammate?" - were dismissed unsaid, but he couldn't quite stop the second. "Are you _serious_?!"

Omi had the grace to look slightly abashed. "Yes, I'm serious!" he said. "Unless you can think of something better? It won't kill you to hold his hand for a while in public, Aya-kun. I'm not asking you to... to..." the youth's blush reflex finally kicked in. "To grope him in the middle of the park, or something."

"I have no intentions of groping him, in the middle of the park or anywhere else," Aya said firmly, leveling a glare at Omi.

Chihaya blushed and squirmed in his seat, burying his face in his hands. Omi held his ground. "I said I _wasn't_ asking you to do that, Aya-kun," the boy pointed out. "Just hold his hand, maybe hug him once in a while. It would be beyond belief for you to suddenly develop a penchant for blatantly public displays of affection, anyway."

"There's _nothing_ else?" Aya asked, swallowing. He glanced over, catching sight of Chihaya's reaction and almost reached out, stopping himself a second before his arm could move. The boy didn't need his sympathy. It was merely an uncomfortable situation all around.

"Like I said, unless you can think of something better..." Omi trailed off and raised his hands. "I can't think of anything else that makes sense."

Aya leaned his head back, staring at the ceiling for several minutes. "Get the papers in order, Omi. I'd like to have the id _before_ we go out today. Is that possible?" He raked a hand through his hair, then glanced at Chihaya again.

Omi thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, I can get you something temporary, anyway. I'll alter one of my fake IDs... our facial structure is similar enough that if I darken the hair colour, it should work. I'll have it for you in about half an hour." Chihaya still hadn't looked up, though Aya thought he saw the boy's violet eyes glittering from behind his fingers.

"Right... What else needs to be done?" Aya asked, unsettled by the sight of those eyes. He looked away, back to the computer screen.

"When you get back tonight I'll get a proper picture of him and do a permanent ID," Omi said, rising and crossing to his computer to begin working even as he spoke. "In the meantime, as long as you don't actually get arrested the ID I'll give you will work fine. Since I sincerely doubt you're going to be putting yourself in a position where a policeman would take an interest in your relationship with him," Omi glanced wryly back over his shoulder at Aya, "it shouldn't be a problem. Go tell Yohji and Ken what's been decided, and then come back for the ID and you can take him out shopping."

Aya nodded, rising. As he passed Chihaya, he touched the boy's shoulder. "Get some breakfast while I handle this, all right?" Without waiting for an answer, he headed upstairs, stalking straight for the first bedroom.

* * *

 

Aya pulled into the parking lot, stomach roiling. He glanced at his companion, the bright, bubbly boy glued to the window as he watched the people arrive and leave. Jaded violet eyes watched the back of his head, then turned back to the pavement, searching for a parking spot. The mall was already packed, despite them arriving just minutes from opening, and finding a close space was out of the question. Which means they'd have a bit of a walk. His thoughts drifted back to earlier that morning, and he glowered. Ken had been relatively easy to explain it to, his only comment a question about how Omi had possibly managed to convince Aya to do it. Yohji had been much more cutting, his comments on underage lovers a bit close to home. They'd ended up snarling at each other before Aya had stalked out, Yohji's laughter ringing in his ears as he left.

Finally finding a parking spot, he pulled in, shutting off the car and staring straight ahead for a moment before he looked at Chihaya. "We're here," he said, unnecessarily, raking a hand through his hair. "Are you ready?" He touched the pocket where the tracker resided and resisted reaching out to touch the corresponding bug on Chihaya's shirt.

Chihaya nodded enthusiastically. "Oh, yes! It's been so long since I've been somewhere like this... I used to spend hours in the malls, just watching the people," he burbled happily. "Earthians are so fascinating..."

Aya shook his head. "Most of the time, you sound very normal," he noted, stepping out of the car and shutting the door. He waited until Chihaya had followed suit, then clicked the small button to lock the doors. "Occasionally, though," he continued, rounding the car and waiting for Chihaya to fall into step beside him, "you say something very strange."

Chihaya blinked up at him, clearly confused. "What did I say?" he wanted to know. "People ARE fascinating. There's such a broad spectrum of emotions, and you can see almost all of them just by going to a public place and watching for a few hours."

"The way you talk about them, sometimes, it sounds almost as though you don't consider yourself one of them," Aya shrugged, slipping his hands into his pockets as he continued to walk.

Chihaya blinked, and studied the pavement as though it was suddenly fascinating. "Well, I suppose in some ways... I don't," he admitted slowly. "I've always been... sort of an outcast. Disconnected from the people around me."

"Everyone's an outcast to someone," he said, looking back at the mall. "What matters is finding acceptance with a few, I think."

Chihaya looked wistful. "I only ever found one," he murmured softly. "And only for such a short time... just a few years, really."

"Then treasure that," Aya murmured. "And let it give you hope for the future."

Chihaya's smile turned faintly bitter. "I doubt I'll ever find anyone I can be as open with as I was with Kagetsuya," he replied. "But yes, I do treasure those memories." They had entered the mall by this point, and Chihaya took a deep breath, his genki, bubbly expression returning. "So... where are we going first?"

Aya reached out, grasping Chihaya's hand before he even thought and turning the boy to face him. "Do not give up on the future. And do not ever assume anything."

Chihaya looked at their joined hands, then up at him, his smile turning faintly wistful again. "You remind me of him, you know that? Your personalities are very similar."

Aya blinked, looking suddenly uncomfortable. "I'm sorry," he finally said, when nothing else came to mind. "I... Let's get your shoes first, then clothes. After that... we'll figure out what to do next."

Chihaya nodded, the brightness coming back into his smile seemingly without effort. Aya was beginning to realize how much of that cheerfulness was merely a mask, however - one the boy apparently donned as easily as Omi did, to cover the deeper hurt and darkness within. "Shoes sound good," Chihaya agreed, glancing down to the sneakers he'd been forced to borrow from Omi.

"Right," Aya nodded, letting his grip on Chihaya's hand loosen a little, not sure if the boy would want to pull away or not. The thought of losing that warm touch shouldn't bother him as much as it did, and he frowned as he gestured toward the hallway. "Let's find a shoe store.'

Chihaya clung to his hand, though it didn't seem to be a conscious decision. Several schoolgirls giggled at the sight of the two men hand in hand, but Chihaya ignored them, chattering away to Aya about the various sights in the mall.

Aya glared at the girls, letting his hold tighten once more. He listened with half an ear to Chihaya, finally spying a shoe store and guiding the talkative boy inside.

It didn't take them long to find a couple pairs of sneakers that fit the boy's feet, though Chihaya sighed when they had to look in the children's section to find the right size. The next big battle came when they moved to pay for the merchandise. Chihaya didn't yet have a bank card to access his money, so he was forced to allow Aya to pay for the shoes. "I WILL pay you back for this," the younger man insisted.

"We'll see," Aya said calmly, ignoring the vehemence. "In the meantime, don't worry about it." He shrugged, ushering Chihaya out of the store with a new pair of shoes and socks on. "I'm not lacking for money, Chihaya," he added finally. "I'll be fine, even with buying you all of this."

"I just... don't want to live off people's charity," the boy muttered, tugging his hair back out of his eyes. "I don't want to be a burden to anyone."

"It's not charity," Aya said, frowning at Chihaya. "We'll discuss what it is when we get back home."

Chihaya nodded, and they continued on with their quest. Thankfully the youth wasn't very picky about his clothes, though he certainly had a decent sense of style. Dressed properly, he looked a few years older and very attractive. He got appreciative glances from most of the younger girls they passed, and even a few of the older ones.

Aya relaxed slightly once Chihaya was in proper clothing. He didn't reach out to link hands with the boy again, though he did allow himself the occasional touch to Chihaya's shoulder in order to get his attention. "You'll need things to do... Even with everything else, I can't be your only source of entertainment."

Chihaya nodded. "I love to read... I'd better get a library card or something, though... my taste in books would DEFINITELY strain your budget," the youth chuckled. "Maybe a sketchbook and some coloured pencils? That would give me a good excuse to sit in the park for hours, if I'm sketching things, and I'm a passable artist."

"All right," Aya nodded, raising an eyebrow at the comment about books. "Sketchpads would be... probably in the same store with office supplies," he shrugged. "I think anyway. After that, we can have lunch, if you're feeling hungry."

"Mmm, yes, food would be good," Chihaya agreed. "I'm starting to get hungry... and a little overwhelmed. I'm not used to being with so many people anymore."

"Unfortunately, it's something you'll have to get used to," Aya said, not admitting that he, too, felt very uncomfortable in the large crowd. "It will get easier as time passes," he said, to reassure them both. "Is there anything in particular you'd like to eat?"

"Something that won't be difficult to pack up and take with us," Chihaya sighed. "I still can't eat much at one sitting, unfortunately. And I have a very high metabolism... I should be eating more than I am right now."

"Tell me that and I'll make sure you do," Aya said, a faint growl behind the words. He nodded, spotting a place as they passed the food court on the way to the office supplies. "Nikuman?"

Chihaya's face lit up. "Oh, I love nikuman! It's one of my favourite Japanese foods," he agreed enthusiastically. "And it will be easy to buy a couple and just carry them with us. If I can just nibble a bit at a time, all the time, I should get enough food."

"Good," Aya nodded, a faint smile crossing his face at Chihaya's enthusiasm. "We'll get a few, then. Let's pick out your sketch pad first, though. After that, we can find some chairs in the mall and you can sit for a while."

There was a decent selection of sketchpads in the office store, and Chihaya flipped through a few of them before settling on one. It took him much less time to select a large set of coloured pencil-crayons, a smaller set of pencils of varying hardness, several different kinds of erasers and a pencil-case to hold it all. "You're sure you don't mind?" the youth asked as they approached the counter to pay for it. "I don't really NEED this many colours... I could make do with one of the smaller sets..."

Aya angled a look at him, then smiled suddenly. It was a youthful look, one that banished all the jaded hardness in his eyes. It didn't stay for long, barely enough time for Chihaya to really register it before he plucked everything from Chihaya's hand and set the basket full of goodies firmly on the counter.

Chihaya's smile turned oddly shy as the clerk rang their purchases through, and his hand sought out Aya's again hesitantly, fingers brushing together in a tacit request for permission.

In response, Aya wrapped his long fingers around Chihaya's hand, squeezing once. He wondered, briefly, if this smile was any more genuine than the others had been, but he dismissed the thought after a moment, deciding that if it wasn't, he didn't want to know.

They made their way to the food court again, and Chihaya happily munched his way through a nikuman and some kappamaki. He was quiet while he ate, chewing politely and just watching the crowds around them with wide eyes.

Aya ate as well, buying extra nikuman for both of them and keeping himself from eating until he was full, not wanting his reactions dulled, just in case. From there, he took Chihaya's hand again, lacing their fingers together as he searched out seats in the mall hallway. He eventually found a small resting point near a fountain, with a long, curved couch watching it. Hesitant eyes turned to Chihaya. "What do you think? Like to sit for a while?"

"Mm, sounds good," Chihaya agreed, plopping down and trailing his fingers in the water. The koi in the pond swam up to him, presumably hoping for food, and he giggled as they tickled his fingers. "I need to digest for a while, and this is a good place to rest and watch people from."

"Yes," Aya nodded, sitting more gracefully. He leaned back against the back of the couch, watching Chihaya thoughtfully. "What do you normally draw, when you have the opportunity?"

"Oh, everything," Chihaya replied. "People, if I can get them to sit still long enough. Animals. Landscapes. I love to draw the really beautiful places on Earth... the Grand Canyon, the Great Wall of China, the Eiffel tower, Mount Fuji... all the wonders of mankind and nature."

Aya just stared at him. How on earth could such a cheerful soul hold such bitterness? "You might like Tokyo Tower, then," he finally muttered. "And if Omi agrees, he usually stays still long enough... provided you're willing to sketch him at a computer."

"I did Tokyo Tower the first time I was in Japan," Chihaya agreed. "But I don't have that sketch book anymore, so I'll do it again. Besides, it's different now... it's always different, no matter how long you spend at any one place. The angle of the sun, the people coming and going... and I'll definitely ask your friends if they mind me sketching them." He paused, then added shyly, "You don't mind if I sketch you, do you?"

Aya started to tell him not to, before he started thinking about it. It was yet another reason for the two of them to spend a great deal of time together, and if he was sketched in a public place... Besides, if they were lovers, it would only make sense for him to have sketches of Aya in his book. Finally, he said softly, "No, I don't."

Chihaya gave him one of those thousand-watt smiles he seemed to reserve for Aya alone. "Thank you!" he chirped, clutching his new sketchbook to his chest.

"It's okay," Aya waved his hand dismissively, the smile catching at him nonetheless. He smiled faintly back, eyes softer than normal.

Chihaya started to speak, then blinked and glanced over to one side of where they were sitting. "Do you hear that?" he asked, eyes wide. "Someone's crying... it sounds like a little child!" He stared at one of the hall branches, shifting to try to see through the throngs of people.

Aya frowned, listening.

There came a gap in the crowd, and the two men sitting on the bench caught a glimpse of a little girl, perhaps three or four years old, standing pressed up against a plate glass window, sobbing her heart out. In a flash Chihaya was up and moving towards her, face concerned.

Aya hurried after him, muttering a soft curse. Clearly keeping track of the boy would be more difficult than Aya had originally anticipated. He reached the girl seconds after Chihaya, watching him kneel down to talk to her face to face.

"Daijoubu desu ka?" Chihaya asked the girl. She sniffled and glanced up at him with wide, trusting eyes, and babbled something back in a language Aya didn't recognize. Not Japanese, English or German, that was all he could tell. Chihaya nodded and said something back to her in what sounded like the same language, his voice sweet and soothing. She answered him, and he looked up at Aya. "She's lost her mother," he said softly, keeping his voice tone even so as not to upset her again. "And she doesn't speak any Japanese - they're tourists, I think. Her poor mother must be frantic!"

"We can take her to information," Aya said, shrugging faintly. "That would be where the mother would go normally, so she's likely to find her mother there." He felt uncomfortable, nervous. He did _not_ make a habit of helping everyone in need... huge violet eyes notwithstanding. At least the girl's eyes were a soft brown.

Chihaya nodded and picked her up, settling her on his hip. She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him like a burr, chattering away at him like one of the sparrows on the windowsill yesterday. "Where is the information?" he asked Aya while she paused for breath.

"Follow me," Aya said, shaking his head and gathering up the abandoned sketchpad. He slipped it under one arm, leading the way to the information desk.

Once there Chihaya had a brief discussion with the woman manning the desk, trying to convince her to let HIM use the loudspeaker to announce the child's whereabouts to her mother. After patiently explaining at least five times that neither the little girl nor, likely, her mother spoke any Japanese, he was finally granted access to the microphone. He said something over it in that same liquid language, and not five minutes later a harried-looking woman came hurrying up, followed by an entire tour group. The little girl waved her arms at the woman and Chihaya set her down, allowing her to run to her mother. More babbling between Chihaya, the mother and the tour guide, and Aya saw Chihaya shake his head several times, once actually catching the woman's arm as she reached for her purse. Finally the crowd left, and Chihaya sighed deeply. "Thank goodness!" he said, sounding wearied. "What a mess!"

Aya raised an eyebrow. "Are you all right?" he asked, watching the last stragglers of the crowd turn a corner, and gesturing to Chihaya to start walking. He reached into one of their bags, handing over a nikuman to the boy, hoping he'd begin to eat.

Chihaya took it gratefully, nibbling on it and speaking between bites. "Yes, I'm okay. It's just... exhausting. And trying to convince that woman that she did NOT have to pay me for returning her child safely to her!" He shook his head. "Don't people ever just help others for reasons OTHER than money any more? Seeing that girl's smile when her mother picked her up was more than enough payment for me."

"People do," Aya said slowly, clearly considering the words carefully before speaking. "But they're few and far between. Most of us assume that a reward is in order, because it makes life simpler all around. A physical reward," he clarified, seeing Chihaya about to protest again. "Money, food, clothing, that sort of thing. Besides, it's a way for us to show our appreciation to those who have helped us."

Chihaya subsided, obviously thinking about it as he continued to nibble on the meatbun. "I suppose," he finally agreed. "It just seems... so odd to me. If everyone... or even MOST people... just did what was right, then there wouldn't be any need for such rewards, and everyone would be much happier. I realize that not everyone is good at heart, but surely MOST people still are!"

"Maybe," Aya said doubtfully, glancing at his watch and blinking. "If you're tired, we should head back... Did we remember everything? Shirts, pants, socks, shoes, underclothing?"

"Um... maybe a toothbrush and a hairbrush, that sort of thing?" Chihaya asked. "And... there is one other thing I'd like to do today, if you don't mind..." he trailed off shyly.

"Toothbrush, hairbrush... pajamas," Aya nodded, trying to think. "All the toiletries, really. There's a store here that handles all of that stuff. What else did you want to try?"

"No, I... it's a place... I'd like to visit," Chihaya explained. "It's about... half an hour from here by car, I think. I can go another day if you don't want to..."

"We can go today," Aya shrugged. "Let's get your pajamas, then the toiletries, then head there."

Chihaya nodded, and they set off once more. Somehow Aya wasn't surprised when Chihaya picked out flannel pajamas that were blue with dolphins on them. The toiletries were a quick five-minute trip, and then they were done and back in the car.

Chihaya directed him towards the outside of town. As they sped along the highway, first the tall skyscrapers, then the lower office buildings, then even the cramped apartments fell away, leaving them in the less-crowded outskirts of Tokyo. It was actually closer to forty-five minutes before Chihaya indicated Aya should pull over and park. The boy had been unusually quiet the entire trip, becoming more and more silent as they approached their destination. Once the car had stopped, Chihaya climbed out and headed for a set of ornate wrought-iron gates in a stone wall. As they approached, Aya spotted a small sign that proclaimed this to be St. Michael's cemetery.

Feeling his stomach drop, Aya followed Chihaya, staying a pace behind the smaller man as he slipped inside and made his way towards the graves. Part of him was surprised. He wasn't really close enough to be accompanying Chihaya on this sort of errand, but they really didn't have a choice... either of them.

Chihaya finally stopped in front of a grave marked only be a small slab of granite, and knelt down before it. He glanced back over his shoulder at Aya. "I'll only be a moment," he said, voice rough. "I just... wanted to take a chance to visit while I was in the country." He bowed his head and folded his hands before him, lips moving silently as though he were praying. From where he stood Aya could just make out the engraving on the stone - "Kagetsuya. Though Fallen from Grace, he will always be Loved." There was a single date on the stone, three years previous.

Aya stepped back another pace, giving Chihaya the illusion of privacy as his mind whirled. The strange wording made him wonder, but given Chihaya's various comments about being "back in Japan", Aya assumed that they must have something to do with where the two had come from. He folded his hands together and waited.

After about five minutes, Chihaya leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on the headstone. He stood, and when he turned to Aya his cheeks were damp, though his eyes were clear. "Okay, I'm done," he said, his tone of voice still subdued. "Thank you for waiting for me."

Aya reached out, holding a hand to him. "It's all right, Chihaya."

Chihaya latched onto his hand with a death grip, but said nothing as they made their way back to the car. He didn't look back at the grave, settling into his seat with his back to the window and his eyes closed.

Aya started to ask, then decided to keep his silence, starting the car and returning to the Koneko. He directed Chihaya to head up to their room, blushing a little as he said the words, and followed behind, carting their purchases.

Chihaya roused himself back to his usual genki attitude as they entered the shop. He chirped a cheerful greeting to Ken and Yohji in the store, and to Omi as they passed him in the living room. There was no sign of grief or sorrow in his bright violet eyes as they entered Aya's room and he collapsed onto the bed.

Aya set the clothing and sundries in a corner, closing the door and moving to Chihaya's side. "Are you all right?" he asked softly, reaching out to lay a hand delicately on the boy's shoulder.

The boy closed his eyes and rested his cheek against Aya's hand, his bright smile going soft and turning into something wistful. "Yes, I'm okay," he murmured. "I'm sorry, I didn't really expect it to affect me so badly. I guess... seeing his grave really brings it home. Even now, sometimes I still feel like if I just turn around fast enough, I'll see him behind me where he always used to be."

Aya turned his hand, cupping Chihaya's cheek gently. "You must have loved him very much," he murmured, beginning to see the depth of Chihaya's love for this Kagetsuya. He was reminded, briefly, of his sister, and shook the thought away. "That's not something to apologize for."

Chihaya sniffled once, though no tears fell. "I did," he replied, voice choked. "And he loved me. He was the only one who ever gave a damn about me. Losing him nearly killed me... I thought I wouldn't be able to go on." He sighed, and opened his eyes, the violet shining with suppressed tears. "Demo... I DID survive. And I learned to live without him. I suppose, in the end, that's really what life is all about. Carrying on."

"Survival... yes," Aya nodded, pulling his hand back and raking it through his hair. "That's exactly what life is all about, I think. We're handed this... handful of experiences and we have to find the best way to navigate them. It's never an easy road."

Chihaya nodded. "Hai. And, really, I've had a wonderful life compared to some." He cleared his throat, and seemed to regain some composure. "So... what do we do now?"

"Well, now we put things away... Hells," Aya said suddenly, looking around the room.

Chihaya jumped. "Eh? Nani?"

"We forgot the issue of the bed," he sighed. "I meant to stop by a furniture store and pick up another futon. They could've delivered the frame... if I'd remembered," he said, shaking his head and stalking to the bags.

"Oh." Chihaya looked around skeptically. "Aya-san... do you really think you could FIT another futon in here?" he asked doubtfully.

Aya sighed, shaking his head. "I have no idea, honestly," he admitted. "But I'm sure we'd both find it preferable to squeezing onto that," he said, waving at the mattress Chihaya was sitting on, "or the floor."

Chihaya shrugged, and looked away. "I didn't mind last night," he said quietly. "I AM sorry for this morning, but sleeping with someone next to me was nice."

"I don't want you to get any ideas," Aya said softly, turning his back as he began to put away the clothing in the space they'd cleared for Chihaya's clothing. "This is for a mission, Chihaya. It's false and temporary. That's all it _can_ be."

Looking as if he'd been slapped, Chihaya flushed badly. "I... I d-didn't... I..." he stammered, flinching as though Aya had dealt him a physical blow. "I'm s-sorry... I didn't mean..."

Aya turned to stare at him. "Don't mistake this for love, Chihaya. It's better if you remember that."

Chihaya stared at him, and after a long moment the stunned look turned to one of something dangerously close to anger. "How dare you?" he hissed, fists clenched in the sheets. "I've known _real_ love, the kind that is built over years of partnership and friendship, trust and devotion. I am not some silly little schoolgirl who thinks she's in love with everyone she's attracted to. Lust, affection, even caring, can form within a few days of knowing someone. LOVE is built on a foundation much stronger than that!" His violet eyes were snapping with fury as he concluded, "Don't you _dare_ lecture _me_ on what 'love' is and isn't!"

"Then you're one up on me, little boy," Aya said coldly, ice to Chihaya's angry fire.

"Yes. I guess I am," Chihaya replied, voice trembling with fury. He started to say something else, shook his head, tried again, and finally gave up. Marching to the door, he paused in the doorway and glanced over his shoulder. "I'll find somewhere ELSE to sleep, since it bothers you so badly. Believe me, you are in NO danger of me suddenly deciding that I'm in love with you." Eyes flashing, he stormed out of the room, deliberately NOT slamming the door behind him.


	4. Chapter 4

A few minutes later there was a knock on the door - Ken's knock, bold and fearless. "Oi, Aya?" the ex-J-League player called a moment later, confirming the identity of the intruder. "You in there?"

Rubbing the back of his neck, Aya stood, heading to the door. He hesitated briefly, then sighed. Might as well get it over with. Opening the door, he peered at Ken. "Yes?"

Ken looked back at him with wide eyes. "Uh... WHAT did you say to the kid?" he demanded. "I mean, it seemed like he was handling you pretty well... what did you say to set him off like that?"

"Is he sleeping in your room tonight, then?" Aya asked quietly, debating. He could let Ken in and explain, or freeze him out, as always... With a faint growl, he stepped back, not-quite-rude in his invitation inside.

Ken slipped inside and closed the door behind him, leaning against it as if for support. "Well, that's what he asked," the younger assassin admitted. "He looked... REALLY pissed off. I mean, unbelievably. I don't mind if he stays with me tonight, but... is this gonna be a habit?"

"No," Aya said flatly. "It is not. I'll go talk to him," Aya said. "Forgive me for pushing you out of your room for a bit," he added suddenly, looking at Ken. "I'll do my best not to take long."

Ken shrugged easily and moved away from the doorway. "No problem. Take as long as you need." He grinned suddenly, his dark blue eyes dancing. "Personally, I think you've finally met your match, but that's just my opinion."

"Met my match how?" Aya asked coldly, staring at Ken.

Ken's grin widened fractionally. "He's as stubborn as you are, Aya. And it looks like he's not gonna take any shit from you, even if he did seem kinda docile at first."

"Hmm," Aya answered, stalking out of the room and down to Ken's. He hesitated briefly over knocking, finally abandoning the idea for striding into the room.

Chihaya sat on the chair in Ken's room, looking out the window at the sunset antics of the birds outside. He stiffened when the door opened, but did not look around. "You got what you wanted," he said. "I'm out of your bed. Ken said it was okay if I stayed with him tonight, and then tomorrow we'll work something more permanent out. Maybe I can sleep in the couch downstairs where you were talking to that woman."

"I'm not trying to hurt you, Chihaya," Aya said, closing the door and leaning against it. "I'm trying to keep either of us from getting in over our heads."

"What do you want from me?" Chihaya demanded, finally turning to look at him. His eyes were still angry, but there was hurt there as well. "Yes, I'm attracted to you. You're gorgeous. Yes, I feel grateful to you for rescuing me. Yes, I'm probably a little bit infatuated with you. But I'm not going to mistake that for never-ending storybook love, Aya. I HAD that kind of love once, and you don't get that lucky twice in one lifetime. Most people don't even get that lucky ONCE in a lifetime!" The hurt was growing as he spoke, and he turned away again, presumably to hide his expression. "I never meant to make you uncomfortable. We can talk to Omi tomorrow... maybe Ken can be my tracker instead of you. He's probably more believable as my 'lover' anyway."

"Forgetting for a moment all the reasons we've already stated for who your tracker should be," Aya said, "there's the small matter of me getting confused, too." He blinked, stopping as he heard himself. That hadn't been what he'd intended to say... but it was also the truth. He growled, raking a hand through his hair.

Chihaya snuck a peek back at him from under his bangs. "You?" he repeated hesitantly. "I... don't understand. Why would you get confused?"

Aya looked away, frowning. "It would be easy. Let's leave it at that." He debated a moment, then said, "I didn't intend to throw you out of my bed. Yes, you make me uncomfortable. I don't want to get used to... waking up the way I did this morning." A faint blush stained his cheeks, but he ignored it. "But we're both a-adults. We can handle sleeping in the same bed together for an extended period of time."

Chihaya scuffed his toe into the carpet, and at that moment he certainly didn't look particularly adult. But at last he sighed and looked up, and his eyes were far too world-weary. "Okay. I'm sorry I got so angry. And I promise I'll do my best not to... give you a repeat of this morning," he added, blushing faintly.

"It was both of us, Chihaya," Aya said, shaking his head. He moved forward, coming to rest before the boy. "We'll sort it out."

"So... now what?" Chihaya asked, looking back at him. "I guess we give Ken back his room?"

"For starters. And figure out a permanent place to go when one or both of us needs to cool down," he added, holding out a hand to Chihaya.

Chihaya took it and allowed Aya to help him to rise. Once more the redhead was surprised by how little the boy seemed to weigh.

Aya stared down at him for a moment, then laced their fingers together. "I apologize for being so harsh... particularly today. I know it has not been an easy day for you."

Hesitantly, Chihaya squeezed his fingers in return. "It's okay. I guess it was just... overwhelming. And I know it was a rough day for you, too... you're obviously a very private person, and I know it must be difficult for you to have me intruding on your space all the time."

Aya nodded, tugging him toward the doorway. When they reached it, he let go, opening the door and gesturing Chihaya out. "Then we both get an excuse?" he asked, sounding very faintly amused... and mostly still nervous.

"I suppose so," Chihaya said, laughing slightly. Ken was lounging in Aya's doorway, clearly waiting for them. The brunette gave them a grin and a thumbs up when he saw them come out together.

"So, I guess this means I've got my room back?" he joked, pushing away from Aya's door. "Don't kill each other tonight, or I'm gonna feel guilty, okay?"

Aya looked at Ken, then down at Chihaya, a faint smile on his face. "I don't think I'm capable of killing him," he admitted, nodding once to Ken as his teammate passed.

Chihaya blinked up at him as they entered Aya's room and the door was shut behind them once more. "Oh, really?" he asked wryly. "Trust me, you've only BEGUN to see me at my most infuriating." He chuckled.

Aya's chest tightened at the smile, and he quirked his lips faintly, heading to the dresser and tugging out some of the pajamas they'd gotten for Chihaya. "And you've not seen me at my worst, either," he shrugged. "When you see who I really am, you may run screaming."

Shaking his head, Chihaya took the pajamas. "On your worst day, I doubt you come anywhere close to Ashiya or Morikawa, Aya. THEM I would run screaming from. Not you."

Aya shuddered, looking a bit green. "No... no I'm not like him," Aya agreed, thinking of the darkened lab.

"Well, there you go," Chihaya told him with a faint smile. "Grouchy and scowling I can handle... I'm used to it."

Aya searched his eyes, then sighed, changing. "Either I'm taking the floor or we're sleeping as we did last night," he murmured, moving toward Chihaya and the bed.

Chihaya had changed as well while Aya's back was turned, and he looked even younger in his pajamas. "I'd... rather sleep like we did last night," Chihaya admitted. "If nothing else, it will save us the argument over who has to take the floor."

Aya nodded, gesturing for Chihaya to climb into bed first. "Fair enough, I suppose, since you'll likely challenge me for it anyway."

Chihaya grinned at him. "NOW you're starting to get the idea," he said, and scrambled into the bed, pressing up against the wall.

Aya climbed in after Chihaya, hesitantly reaching out and wrapping an arm around him. His heart was pounding, his body hyper-aware of the warmth between them and the comfortable feeling of Chihaya settled in his arms.

Chihaya squirmed until he was comfortable, ending up with his head on Aya's shoulder and his hand lightly resting on the larger man's chest. "Is this okay?" he asked quietly.

Aya looked at him for a few moments, then smiled softly. He raised a hand, capturing Chihaya's and holding it there gently. "Yes," he murmured. "It's just fine."

* * *

 

Aya awoke to a faint whimpering sound, and the sensation of something clutching at his nightshirt. Forcing his eyes open, he heard the whimper again, this time clearly coming from the vicinity of his shoulder. Chihaya's fist tightened a little further, and the boy shuddered in his sleep.

Aya blinked, recognizing it for a nightmare almost immediately. He reached up, stroking Chihaya's cheek softly, brain still muzzy from sleep. "Chihaya," he murmured, voice low and husky. "Wake up. It's just a dream."

Chihaya flinched violently away from his touch, crying out and throwing up his hand as if to ward off a blow. "Messiah! NO!" he shrieked, face twisting in pain as he hunched around his left shoulder. "Please, God... NO!"

Aya blinked, then reached out, grabbing his arms. "Chihaya!" he said, grateful the walls in the place weren't thin. After the first few nightmares all around, they'd each chipped in to have them soundproofed. "Wake up!" He was wide awake now, eyes dark with worry.

Chihaya moaned, a creature in mortal agony, and clutched at his shoulder. "Kagetsuya... NO!" His eyes jerked open as he screamed again, cringing back against the wall.

Aya followed him, pressing him to the wall as he tried to make Chihaya see who it was. "Chihaya! It's me," he said, body pressing to Chihaya's as his hands dropped away from Chihaya's arms. "It's Aya!"

Chihaya fought him for a moment, then slumped into his arms. "A-aya?" he repeated, his eyes dazed but with sense slowly creeping into them. "What happened to Messiah? Or... no, wait..." he looked briefly confused. "Messiah is dead. I... I had a nightmare, didn't I? I'm sorry..."

"It's okay," Aya said, slipping his arms around Chihaya and cradling him close. "It was a nightmare." One hand stroked Chihaya's hair, an unconscious, rhythmic motion that soothed them both.

Chihaya trembled in his arms, his hands coming up to clutch at Aya's shoulders. "I hate that dream," he muttered into Aya's shoulder. "I really, REALLY hate that dream..."

Aya nodded, holding him close. "We all have nightmares sometimes, Chihaya," he offered gently.

The boy laid his head on Aya's shoulder, still shaking. He seemed almost compelled to talk, as if he hoped by speaking the pain it might be lessened. "Ashiya... he actually succeeded, once. He created his 'perfect soldier'... he just couldn't reproduce the experiment. Messiah was everything he'd hoped his bio-humanoids could be... and more. He... he fell in love with me, sort of. Ashiya could control his mind, and he made Messiah turn on me, attack me." Chihaya shuddered harder, his left shoulder twitching as if in pain. "When Messiah realized what he'd done, he... he self-destructed, and he took Ashiya with him. I thought that would be the end of it... I never dreamed Ashiya had an assistant."

"And Kagetsuya?" Aya asked, voice soft. "What about him?"

"Kagetsuya finally tracked down where Ashiya had taken me, just in time to see Messiah... attack me," Chihaya faltered. "He got Messiah off me, then took half a dozen bullets to protect me."

"I see," Aya nodded. "He loved you."

"Yes," Chihaya whispered. "Even though I'd been stupid... even though I nearly tore us apart over Messiah... he still was willing to go that far for me..." A hot drop of water splashed onto Aya's collarbone, followed by another, and another. "I miss him s-so much..."

"It's okay," Aya said, casting about for something to say. "The two of you loved each other... he knows how you feel, even now."

Chihaya nodded against his shoulder, still crying quietly. He didn't sob or choke on his tears - the only sound he made was the occasional small sniffle. "I'm sorry for dumping this on you," he said at length. "I guess... being caught by Morikawa... and then seeing Kagetsuya's grave... it was all just too much for me."

"It's okay," Aya said again, lamely. "Everyone is entitled to an off-night, and today's been very stressful." He paused, then leaned his cheek against the top of Chihaya's head. "I'm here."

"May I... just rest here for a while? Just a few minutes, even?" Chihaya pleaded in a small voice. "It's... comforting."

"As long as you want," Aya whispered, curling his arms a little tighter around Chihaya, his eyes closing. They were sitting up, but he didn't care, just wanting to make Chihaya smile again.

They sat for long minutes, only the sound of their breathing and Chihaya's occasional hiccoughed sniffle breaking the silence of the night. After some time Aya realized he hadn't heard anything OTHER than breathing from the boy in his lap for some time - a glance down proved that Chihaya had indeed fallen asleep once more, his hands clenched in Aya's shirt, a look of quiet contentment on his face.

Aya stared at him for several long minutes, noting the play of moonlight on his face, the way his lips curved ever so slightly upwards in sleep. He looked young, barely fifteen when he slept, his face smooth and sweet. Aya shifted, carefully settling himself down against the bed once more and cuddling Chihaya close, at the last minute pressing a kiss to the top of Chihaya's head. Blushing, he let his eyes slip closed.

* * *

 

Aya glanced up from the register, peering into the back room to check on Chihaya. They'd agreed that he'd have to work about half his normal shifts, spending the rest of the time out in public. It had been almost a week since the day they'd visited Kagetsuya's grave, and over that time, he'd seen more than his share of Chihaya's stubbornness. At the same time, he mused, watching Chihaya trace his pencil over the paper, the boy's eyes clearly focused on Omi and the flower arrangement his teammate was creating, at the same time, Chihaya had slowly wormed his way past Aya's façade. The swordsman was uncomfortably aware that the tenderness he showed in public was less acted than he admitted to.

Buso curled up comfortably around Chihaya's ankle, causing the boy to smile brilliantly down at the cat before returning to his paper. Aya wondered, faintly, if Chihaya would show him the pictures, if he asked. He hadn't dared to, really, not wanting to invade Chihaya's privacy any more than necessary. Even so, he'd been tempted on many occasions, wanting something to share with Chihaya other than false dates and nightly embraces. Seeing Chihaya's eyes begin to lift in his direction, Aya turned away, setting the counter to rights.

Chihaya stood and stretched, closing his overstuffed sketchbook. In just a week the boy had managed to fill the pages to bursting. He thanked Omi for posing for him, and made his way to where Aya stood. "Are you done?" he asked. "Shall we get out of here before the schoolgirl rush begins?"

Bemusedly, Aya nodded, taking off his apron and smiling at Chihaya. "Where are we headed today?" he asked, voice gentle. In the week Chihaya had been around, his teammates had seen a marked difference in Aya, who'd slowly become more personable and gentle, though still the coldest of the four of them. Most of his kindnesses were reserved for the boy pretending to be his lover, many of them things obviously designed to keep up appearances, though the other members of Weiß had begun to wonder about a few.

"I thought a quiet afternoon in the park might be nice," Chihaya replied, smiling. "Maybe those adorable ducklings will be back. I'd like to sketch them. Do we have anything we can feed them?" Aya had quickly learned that all animals seemed to love Chihaya, swarming around him incessantly. Likewise, the sight of something small and soft never failed to bring a delighted smile to Chihaya's face.

"I think there's some old bread in the pantry," Aya said, shaking his head as his smile widened fractionally. "I'll grab it while you get your pack."

There was a small park not too far from the Koneko, but Chihaya generally preferred to make the twenty minute walk to the larger park down by the waterfront. Since it put them into a more public place, Aya never argued with the boy's choice of locale. They settled onto a bench, Chihaya curled up against Aya's side. The ducks and ducklings appeared promptly, even before they'd brought out the bread crumbs to spread around. Chihaya smiled and clucked at them, and started sketching.

Absently, Aya draped his arm over the back of the bench, wondering at his sudden desire to drape it over Chihaya's chest. Their late-night cuddlings must have affected him more than he'd realized, he thought, glancing down at the sketchpad Chihaya was drawing in.

The picture of the ducklings was already taking shape. Short, swift strokes of the lead pencil gave form and definition to the images of the fuzzy little babies. On the opposite page, the picture of Omi working was complete, done in soft colours with blurred edges that made the young man look even more sweet than he normally did. Chihaya had captured everything about Omi, from the tiny frown of concentration to the darkness always present deep in the hacker's eyes.

 _This_ from the boy who claimed himself a passable artist, Aya mused, continuing to watch the deliberate lines. "You're good," he murmured finally, unable to stop himself. As he spoke, he leaned his head forward so that the words fell directly into Chihaya's ear.

Chihaya smiled shyly up at him. "Do you really think so?" he asked, sounding pleased. "You should have seen my first sketches... they were TERRIBLE. Kagetsuya never said anything, but I could tell he was always trying not to laugh. I guess I've finally just had enough practice at it."

"Nothing comes easily at first," Aya shook his head, reaching out to stroke Chihaya's bangs from his eyes. "Anything worth doing takes time and practice. You're good. I know you'll get better, though."

Chihaya blushed, and tilted his head slightly to increase the contact. "Do you... want to see the rest?" he asked hesitantly.

"When you're done," Aya nodded. "If you're still willing." His chest tightened at the offer and the move, and he couldn't hide the smile of pleasure on his face. "Finish, before we run out of bread."

"They won't go anywhere," Chihaya murmured, putting his pencil down and flipping back to the beginning of the book. He offered it to Aya.

Aya's eyes narrowed, and he regarded Chihaya thoughtfully for a moment, then shrugged, paging slowly through the book.

Most of the pictures were of landscapes or the animals that flocked to Chihaya's presence. Others were of Omi, Ken and Yohji caught in various moments of their lives. Still more were of random people wandering about in the places they had visited. Each captured the intrinsic beauty of the scene in simple, elegant lines of colour. Chihaya had a knack for showing the best of anything, no matter the subject of the picture. But it was the pictures of Aya himself that made him stop to linger - each had obviously had a great deal more time and care spent on it than any of the others. Chihaya had caught him in all of his moods, from angry shouting at the fangirls to the softly tender look he so rarely showed to the world.

As he reached the end, he turned wondering eyes to Chihaya, staring at the boy in silent amazement. He handed the book back slowly, some of the images burned into his mind already.

Chihaya blushed under his scrutiny, staring fixedly at the ducklings. "So? What do you think?"

"They're... incredible," Aya said softly, reaching out and catching Chihaya's chin, turning the boy's face to his. "Very incredible."

The youth's violet eyes widened, and he swallowed. He stared into Aya's face, apparently at a loss for words. His lips parted slightly, breath misting over Aya's fingers.

Breathing suddenly became difficult. Aya felt himself pulled forward, unable to stop as his lips brushed against Chihaya's, a delicate, chaste kiss that somehow left him more shaken than any kiss he'd ever had before.

Chihaya made a tiny mewling sound in the back of his throat, sounding like a lost kitten. He tilted his face up just a bit, enough to catch Aya's lips in a kiss that had a bit more strength behind it.

Aya's eyes slid closed, his hand sliding to the back of Chihaya's head as he deepened the kiss further. His heart was pounding, pleasure flooding through him. Somehow, this was different, more than he'd ever imagined.

Chihaya's hands came up to clutch at Aya's shoulders, his lips parting further as his tongue hesitantly touched the edge of Aya's lips. The sketchbook fell between them, digging into Aya's ribs as Chihaya shifted slightly closer.

Both of Aya's arms came around Chihaya then, cradling him close as he let his lips part. The deeper kiss tasted heavenly, just as he'd begun to suspect Chihaya would. It wasn't until he heard some gasps that he remembered where they were, and tore his head back, breathing heavily as he looked around them. They'd gathered quite an audience, and Aya's cheeks flamed red, his face ducking as he let Chihaya go.

Chihaya was panting, his cheeks flushed and eyes dazed as he stared at the taller man. "Aya?" he whispered, seemingly oblivious to their audience.

Aya sucked in a breath at his name, then set his jaw, schooling his face into impassivity and wishing he could banish the color from his cheeks as easily. "It was a mistake," he whispered harshly, looking up at Chihaya. "It won't happen again."

Chihaya looked first stricken, then resigned. He dropped his eyes to his lap. "Hai. I understand," he whispered, voice choked. "It won't happen again," he repeated, as if affirming the notion to himself.

Aya returned to his previous position, careful to keep his face averted from Chihaya's until he could get himself fully under control. Doing that... had hurt.

Chihaya gathered up his things, carefully not looking at Aya. "The sun's starting to go down," he murmured. "We should probably get back."

"Yes," Aya said, keeping his voice carefully neutral. He reached out for the empty bag of bread and Chihaya's sketchpad, stopping at the last minute. Face stony, he waited until Chihaya was ready, then started for home.

Chihaya trailed along behind him, heading for the exit to the park. It was crowded, as the businessmen and office ladies got out of work and went to the park for a moment of fresh air. Ahead of them two young women were approaching on the path, chattering happily away to each other in a language Aya didn't recognize. It took him a moment to realize that Chihaya was no longer following him - the boy had stopped dead in the center of the path, staring at the two women, and he had turned very pale.

Aya headed back to him, worried. "Chihaya?" he asked quietly. "What is it?"

Chihaya seemed frozen, eyes wide like a deer in headlights. The taller of the two women approaching them stared at him, then tugged on her friend's arm, heading towards Aya and Chihaya with a smile on her face like she was greeting an old friend. Chihaya made a choked noise and took a step backwards.

Immediately, Aya stepped forward, putting his body half-in-front of Chihaya protectively as he glared at the women.

The taller woman blinked at him and frowned. Her companion gave Aya a quick up-and-down look, then dismissed him visually, her eyes coming to rest on Chihaya. Her frown deepened into a scowl. "Black hair..." she said, then spat something in the language she'd been speaking in early. Chihaya went even paler, and lowered his face until his bangs hid his eyes, one hand coming up to touch his hair self-consciously. The taller woman looked startled, then peered at him more closely, her eyes widening and her hand coming up to cover her mouth in a gesture of surprise.

Jaw tight, barely able to prevent himself from violence, Aya turned to Chihaya, offering his hand. "Come on," he said tightly. "Let's go."

Chihaya didn't budge, didn't even look at Aya's hand. He murmured something in that liquid language, something that sounded suspiciously like an apology. The shorter woman's eyes snapped, and she actually physically spat at him. Chihaya didn't move, even to wipe away the spittle on his cheek, though Aya saw his eyes fill with tears. The woman spoke one word - it sounded like 'Lucifer'. Chihaya stiffened, then turned and bolted down the path, heading away from the exit and the two women. In seconds he had vanished within the crowd.

Aya almost hit the woman, then turned, sprinting after Chihaya, searching for a glimpse of the boy.

He wove in and out of the traffic on the pathway, searching fruitlessly. Finally it occurred to him that he had a tracking device specifically tuned to the tracker Chihaya was carrying, PRECISELY for this purpose. Swearing at his momentary idiocy, he dug the tracker out of his pocket and turned it on.

Following the beeping indicator led him to the very far end of the park, where a tall willow tree leaned over the railing, long branches trailing into the water. There was no sign of Chihaya, however.

Shaken, Aya searched, finally looking up into the tree in desperation.

Among the green leaves and branches above him, he finally spotted Chihaya's sneakered foot dangling down between branches. Dozens of birds hopped and chirped among the leaves, far more than the tree would ordinarily attract. Wryly, Aya realized that alone should have told him where the boy was hiding.

Aya sighed, hauling himself up into the tree, grateful that willows were easy to climb. He finally settled near Chihaya. "Are you okay?" he asked softly.

Chihaya was curled up on a branch higher up - one that would never have been able to hold Aya's weight, though it seemed firm enough under the boy. One foot dangled down for balance, and he had his other knee pulled up to his chest, face buried in his arms. A quiet sniffle was Aya's only answer.

"Chihaya," Aya tried again, reaching out and touching the leg. "Come down."

Chihaya shook his head and drew that foot up as well, causing the branch to sway. He refused to lift his face, though Aya caught the sound of a choked sob.

"Please," Aya asked, voice miserable. "It's okay. Come down. Let me hold you..."

Chihaya snorted. "What, so you can get mad and pull away from me again? The hot and cold routine is NOT what I need right now, Aya." His voice was choked with tears, and sounded far too world-weary.

Aya flinched. "You're... you're my friend," he finally said. "I don't like seeing you hurt."

A sob escaped Chihaya, followed by another. "All I ever wanted was to be liked and accepted," he cried softly. "Is it too much to ask for? Why does God hate me so damn much? What did I do to deserve this? He couldn't even let me have Kagetsuya for more than a few years!"

Aya froze, at a loss for what to say. He finally settled for, "You didn't do anything, Chihaya. Sometimes, life is just painful."

Chihaya was sobbing openly now, the broken sound tearing at Aya's heart.

"Chihaya... come down. _Please_ ," Aya begged, hating himself, but hating the women all the more.

After a long moment the branches rattled, and Chihaya slid down to sit beside him. The extra weight hardly bowed the branch at all, though the birds all chirped and went a little farther away. He curled up against the trunk of the tree, eyes closed and cheeks damp with tears.

Aya reached out, smoothing away the tears on one cheek. "Chihaya... what did they say to you?" he asked, brow furrowed.

Chihaya raised one hand to touch his hair, his eyes shadowed with an old pain, older even than his grief for Kagetsuya. "It's... a long story," he sighed. "I... really would rather not talk about it."

"I'm sorry," Aya whispered, then added, "I'm sorry for hurting you."

Chihaya shook his head and sniffled again. "No, it's not your fault. I promised I wouldn't... do anything like that," he mumbled.

"We both did, and I broke the promise first," Aya said softly, cupping Chihaya's cheek. "...And I'm tempted to again," he admitted finally.

Chihaya looked up at him, breath catching in his throat. His eyes still sparkled from the tears, making them appear even brighter and more jewel-like than they usually did.

Aya stared back, shaking slightly. "I... I don't want you to be a part of my darkness, Chihaya," he whispered. "I don't want to... to hide your light that way."

Chihaya stared back at him with an odd expression. "But Aya... you're the one who brings OUT my light," he whispered. "I was drowning in the darkness before I met you... I'd given up on life."

"I've done nothing but hurt you," Aya responded, confused. "Why would you care at all?"

"Because... because..." Chihaya floundered. "Because you restored my faith in the goodness of Earthians. Because you CARE, even though you try to hide it. Not just about me... you care about your teammates, and about the innocents around you."

"I don't care," Aya said automatically, shaking his head. "It's just a job."

Chihaya gave him a soft, sad smile. "You care more than you want to admit. To anyone, including yourself. But that's true of most people, for most things."

Aya looked vaguely uncomfortable. "Chihaya... I don't want to subject you to the life I live."

The boy barked a short laugh. "Haven't we had this conversation already? Several times, in fact?"

"Yes," Aya sighed. "We're both too stubborn to give in."

Chihaya snickered, a sound of actual mirth this time. "Yes," he agreed.

Aya let his hand drop, running a hand through his hair. "What now?"

"Now I wait long enough to be sure they've left the park... though they probably stormed out the minute I left their sight," Chihaya sighed. "Then we go home, I think. I've had more than enough people-watching for today."

"Who were they?" Aya asked, frowning.

Chihaya stared into the distance, thinking. "I suppose you could say... distant relations," he finally answered slowly. "I'm... an outcast from my people, Aya. If they'd been caught in my presence, THEY could have been outcast as well. I hope I don't get them in trouble."

Aya growled faintly at that, his brows drawing together and anger spreading over his face.

"Don't be angry with them," Chihaya pleaded with him. "It's not their fault. Really."

"Anyone who accepts that sort of bullshit deserves my anger," Aya returned darkly.

"You don't understand," Chihaya whispered, hiding his eyes again. "To be exiled... it's..." he choked on a bitter laugh. "Hell on Earth."

Without thought, Aya reached out, gathering Chihaya to him. "There are other beautiful places, other peoples who will accept you, Chihaya."

Chihaya nodded against his shoulder, settling his slight weight easily into Aya's lap. "I know. The Earth is so beautiful, the people so fascinating. It just... all seemed to lose appeal, after Kagetsuya died. And then Morikawa got me, and..." he shook his head. "I just wanted to die before I caused any MORE problems."

Aya sighed, nodding faintly and stroking the bangs out of Chihaya's eyes. "I know. I've felt that way too, sometimes. But... Chihaya, it's the wrong thing to do. You have to find something to live for."

"I did," Chihaya said, refusing to meet his eyes as the tears welled up again. "But I promised I wouldn't do anything stupid. So, I won't."

"What?!" Aya demanded, staring at him with wide eyes.

"N-nothing," Chihaya stammered, trying to pull away from him and nearly overbalancing, an act that would have sent them both tumbling to the ground. He caught at the nearest branch, steadying them both. Displaced birds chirped angrily at him.

"Not nothing," Aya said firmly, catching hold of Chihaya and staring at him. "Tell me again."

"I said, 'I won't do anything stupid!' " Chihaya cried. "What more do you want from me?"

"What are you living for, Chihaya?" Aya demanded.

Chihaya's jaw clenched. "F-for... you..." he whispered. "For the way you make me feel. Like the sun has come back into the world.... like there's hope again."

Aya stared at him a moment, then caught the back of his neck, the kiss surprisingly gentle for the force of his reaction.

Chihaya kissed him back desperately, clutching at him for support. Too many emotional upheavals in a short period of time had left him swimming, unable to do anything but react.

Finally dragging his head back, Aya stared at Chihaya, breathing labored. His lips quirked faintly. "New promise," he whispered, stroking his fingers through Chihaya's hair. "We'll both do something stupid..."

Chihaya stared at him for a long moment, stunned. "Oh God... Aya..." he sobbed, and threw himself at the other man. This time the abrupt action DID overbalance them, sending them crashing through the branches towards the water.

Aya yelped, barely managing to toss the sketchbook clear in time so that it didn't get soaked. His arms curled around Chihaya, angling his body so that he'd impact first automatically.

They hit the water with a massive splash, in NO way angled to cut the water smoothly. Sputtering and thrashing, they surfaced beside one another, Chihaya's dark hair plastered over his face as he treaded water. Staring at Aya's equally drenched form in shock, Chihaya started to snicker, then to laugh.

Aya scowled, glaring at the water, then the tree, then Chihaya. He wiped water from his face, shook it out of his hair, then rose, climbing out of the water and holding out a hand to Chihaya. "What's so funny?"

Chihaya climbed up to the railing without help - taking Aya's hand would really only have overbalanced them both again. "Just... us. The situation. The stress, I guess," he said when he'd stopped laughing.

Aya snorted faintly. "Let's head home, hmm? I could use dry clothes." His eyes traced Chihaya's face, and he said softly, "If you'd rather I slept somewhere else tonight..."

Chihaya blinked at him, a frown appearing between his brows. "Are you... taking it back?" he asked shyly. "I thought... I mean, I thought you meant..."

"No," Aya whispered, then strengthened his voice slightly. "No... I just didn't know where we stood."

"I think... we were planning to do something stupid," Chihaya said, lips quirking faintly. "In my experience, that usually necessitates being in the same bed - or at least the same PLACE - but maybe you know some tricks I don't?" He gave Aya a guileless look.

Aya's cheek flushed deeply. "Are you certain you're ready for... for that?"

Chihaya rolled his eyes. "If I tell you enough times, do you think it will eventually sink in that I'm not a fifteen-year-old? I..." he blushed to match Aya. "I've been... ready for that... almost since I met you. You make me FEEL again, and I... want more of that."

Aya stared at him, then nodded. "I... Let's go home, Chihaya," he whispered, finally stepping onto firm ground.

Chihaya nodded and swung over the railing, bending to pick up his sketch book before taking Aya's hand shyly.

Aya laced their fingers together firmly, wondering at the swelling in his chest.


	5. Chapter 5

They made their way back to the Koneko, the last of the evening sun spilling bloodred over the sky behind them as they reached the store. There was no sign of the other three Weiß members as they ascended the stairs and made their way to Aya's room.

In silence, they changed, both putting on their pajamas as though they hadn't spoken in the park at all, then looked at one another shyly.

"So..." Chihaya seemed awkward now that it had finally come down to it. He was still blushing faintly, had been since they'd left the park.

"So..." Aya whispered back, finally finding the courage to take a step forward.

Chihaya moved at the same moment, flowing into his embrace like water into a goblet, clinging tightly to him as he raised his face for a kiss.

In response, Aya lowered his head, catching Chihaya's lips in a searing kiss, his hand coming up to cup the back of Chihaya's head as his other arm pressed Chihaya's body against his tightly.

Chihaya kissed him back, hands winding in Aya's shirt as he raised up on tiptoe to better reach the taller man's mouth. Their groins met, erections pressing together and drawing a prolonged moan from Chihaya.

Aya gasped, catching the lightweight boy up into his arms and striding to the bed, placing him gently on it. He bent, kissing Chihaya again deeply, hands straying over Chihaya's pajamas.

Chihaya wrapped his legs around Aya's waist, keeping him from pulling away. "Why did we put these ON?" he asked when they finally broke for air. His nimble fingers danced over the front of Aya's pajamas, teasing the buttons open.

Aya laughed breathlessly, staring at Chihaya in amazement. While he'd known the boy had a lover... it hadn't really _registered_ until now. "I have no idea," he admitted, drifting a line of kisses down Chihaya's throat.

"Mmm... then again, it's so much FUN taking the clothes OFF," Chihaya murmured, purring into his caresses. He deftly got the top off Aya's body, and his fingers slid over the exposed skin, searching out every sensitive spot on the larger man's body.

Aya arched, gasping as Chihaya proved, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he knew _exactly_ what he was doing. His hands finished unbuttoning Chihaya's top, pulling away to slide it from his arms. Chihaya sat up to allow Aya a better angle to get rid of the offending material, and Aya smiled, gathering the boy close, so that their chests were pressed skin to skin. Warmth pooled between them, spreading outward in an incredible wave of feeling.

"God... I'd forgotten how good it feels to be held skin to skin like this," Chihaya murmured, nuzzling at the base of his throat. A soft tongue flicked out, tasting the sweat pooled in Aya's collarbone, making the redhead gasp with pleasure.

Aya's hand slipped up, burying itself in the silk of Chihaya's hair as his own head arched backwards. His free hand trailed slowly down Chihaya's spine, dragging along the indentation. When it reached his tailbone, it slipped under the loose waistband of his pajama bottoms, continuing against the skin.

Chihaya rocked back against his hand, crying out. His back seemed inordinately sensitive, beyond anything Aya had expected. His clever fingers returned the favour, stroking over Aya's chest and pinching at his dusky nipples.

Aya growled, grinding their hips together with as much leverage as he could manage, needing the friction. When Chihaya cried out, throwing his head back, Aya leaned in, catching the advantage and nibbling at the join between shoulder and neck.

"Oh... Aya..." Chihaya gasped out, one hand pinching harshly at Aya's nipple as the other raised to thread through the silky red hair. "You're so beautiful... so amazing... I never thought I would feel like this again!"

Aya moaned, the words catching at him. He slid his other hand from Chihaya's hair, letting it slip down to join the one in his pants, clutching at his rear and pressing the smaller boy close to him. He offered no words of his own, unable to think of anything to say.

Chihaya pushed on his shoulders until they were lying sprawled across the bed, Chihaya's smaller body draped over Aya's lean form. Their cocks brushed together through the thin cotton of their pajama pants, making them both moan. Chihaya hefted himself up to his hands and knees and planted his mouth on Aya's throat, sliding his lips and tongue slowly down the length of the man's body towards his groin.

Aya whimpered, hands sliding back up Chihaya's back as the other man moved lower, his body arching up to meet Chihaya's demanding mouth. Now the words came, compliments dripping off of his lips intermingling with Chihaya's name, often broken until it was unintelligible.

Chihaya continued his downward journey until his lips met the fabric of Aya's pajamas, harsh compared to the satin-over-steel texture of the man's skin. He gripped the edge with his teeth and started tugging downward, looking up playfully at Aya as mischief sparkled in his eyes.

Aya gasped, staring in stunned, aroused fascination as he lifted his hips again to ease the way.

Purring loudly enough that Aya could hear it, Chihaya used his teeth to pull the pants off his lover, never once touching the fabric with his hands. When he was finished he sat up again, smiling wickedly. This was a far cry from his usual soft, innocent smile.

"Where the hell did you pick that up?" Aya asked breathlessly, slipping his fingers into the front of Chihaya's pants and grasping him before the boy could answer. He stroked the satin-hard length slowly, watching Chihaya's eyes.

The violet deepened to a royal purple with desire, and Chihaya threw his head back and gasped again, his eyes struggling to stay open. "Just... playing around," he answered. His cock twitched beneath Aya's hand, hardening fully as the redhead stroked.

"It's incredible," Aya said, shaking his head. He leaned up, catching his lips on Chihaya's nipple and teasing it to a hard point.

Chihaya moaned, fingers sliding down to skim over the length of Aya's cock. He knelt over the taller man, his bottom perched just below Aya's erection, his wide eyes watching Aya's face for a reaction.

Aya pulled his head away, looking up at Chihaya through lust-fogged eyes. "Lubricant," he whispered suddenly, letting his head drop down to the bed for a moment. "I think I've got some lotion in the drawer."

Chihaya leaned over him, pressing against his entire body as he stretched an arm out to reach the dresser drawer. It would have been much easier for Aya to get it, but this was so much more entertaining.

Aya gasped, arms coming up to clutch Chihaya close. "Lover," he whispered, nibbling at Chihaya's earlobe. "Gods... you feel so good.'

Chihaya moaned, and Aya felt the muscles rippling in the boy's back under his hands. The youth fumbled in the drawer, finally emerging with the small container of non-heating massage oil. "I'll feel even better when you're inside me," the dark-haired boy whispered in Aya's ear, tongue flicking out to brush over the delicate shell of skin.

"Yes," Aya hissed, letting Chihaya sit back up as he reached for the massage oil in the youth's hands.

Chihaya let him take it, one hand stroking Aya's cock slowly as he nibbled his way up and down the strong column of Aya's neck.

Aya moaned, pouring some of the oil into his hand and offering the bottle to Chihaya to hold while he slicked his fingers in the smear. Oil dripped onto his belly, the small pool smelling of smoke and roses. He watched Chihaya put the bottle carefully on the table, still uncapped, then smiled, sliding his fingers over Chihaya's hips and down the crack in his buttocks.

Chihaya squirmed, tilting his hips to grant Aya the best angle for access to his hidden hole. He cried out softly as Aya's fingertip touched the ring of tight muscle. Pouring oil liberally into his own palm, he cupped it for a moment to warm it before turning his hand over and allowing it to drizzle over the length of Aya's cock. When his hand was empty he brought it down and rubbed along the length of the heated member, coating it thoroughly in oil.

"Fuck..." Aya whispered, thrusting up into the hand as he tried to gently prepare his lover for the invasion. He was finally forced to reach down, catching Chihaya's wrist and holding him still as he slid his finger inside. A moment or two, and he found the soft gland that would send Chihaya into orbit.

Chihaya actually screamed, and Aya was once again fervently grateful for the soundproofing in the walls. Otherwise his teammates would be bursting in about now, to find out why he was killing the boy. Panting, the youth thrust himself against Aya's finger, keening softly in his throat.

Arousal growing painfully stronger at the sound, Aya laughed softly, feeling his chest swell with pride. _He'd_ made Chihaya scream, and he would again... Gently, he introduced another finger, nudging it past the outer ring and letting Chihaya feel a little more full.

Chihaya's body was tight, as tight as a virgin's, proving that it had indeed been a long time for him. Despite that he seemed to feel no pain at the intrusion, rocking back and forth on Aya's fingers with every evidence of rapture. Eyes closed, head flung back, hands on Aya's shoulders to steady himself, Chihaya was a vision of carnal sexuality. His seeming youth only highlighted his attraction, adding an edge of the forbidden to the knife of desire stabbing through Aya.

Aya added a third finger, stroking his free hand over Chihaya's hips, over his erection and sac, fondling the latter absently as he controlled the fingers buried in Chihaya's body. Finally judging the boy to be prepared enough, he withdrew them all, catching Chihaya's hips in each hand and locking eyes with his lover as he positioned himself at Chihaya's opening.

"Take me," Chihaya breathed, violet eyes locked on violet. "Make me yours, Aya. Take away the emptiness inside me..."

Aya nodded, all speech taken away by the plea. He pressed Chihaya downward slowly, letting himself slowly invade the boy. It felt so good, the tightness wrapping around him as Chihaya's body fitted to his like a glove. "Mine," he finally hissed, buried to the hilt in Chihaya's warm, welcoming body.

Chihaya's legs tightened around his waist, and the boy lifted himself marginally before sinking back down again with a drawn-out moan. "You feel so good," the dark-haired youth whispered, eyes half closed in ecstasy. "So amazing... I'd forgotten... it feels so incredible!"

Aya's breathing grew harsh and uneven as he tried to control himself, wanting to last beyond the initial burst of pleasure. His hands smoothed over Chihaya's body, rougher than before as he began to lose the fight. He'd never imagined it could be like this.

Chihaya was much stronger than his delicate-seeming body would have indicated, thighs clamping over Aya's hips as he lifted himself and thrust back down again and again. They rocked together, their bodies seeming to meld in ways beyond the mere physical joining.

It didn't take long before it finally became far too much. Aya arched upward, pressing down on Chihaya's hips with all his strength as he tensed, pulsing into the warmth.

He felt Chihaya's inner muscles contract around his cock, the youth approaching his own orgasm with the speed of a runaway freight train. Chihaya was gasping and panting for breath, and his eyes flew open in shock as he felt Aya come within him. "Oh God... I'm going to... SHIT!" His fingers squeezed Aya's shoulders painfully. "No, no... Aya, sto... AH! AhhhhHHHH!"

Chihaya screamed as his orgasm hit him all at once, creamy fluid spurting out over Aya's stomach in hot jets. There was a rush of displaced air as a dark feathered wing burst from Chihaya's shoulder, beating frantically at the air around him and nearly drawing him up off Aya's body. Dark, silky hair tangled around Aya's hands, though he hadn't moved them from the boy's hips. Chihaya's eyes were closed, his face screwed up in an expression of mingled agony and ecstasy as he cried, tears splashing on Aya's chest.

Aya froze, staring at the change in his lover, his body's pleasure forgotten. His breath came quickly, almost hyperventilating as he tried to reconcile the longhaired, winged beauty with the boy he'd fallen in love with... made love _to_. Finally, he asked shakily, "Chihaya?"

Chihaya ducked his head so that his hair slid over his shoulder, hiding his face. "I'm sorry!" he cried, voice torn with wretchedness. "I... I lost control... you weren't supposed to _KNOW_!"

Still buried in Chihaya's body, Aya did the only thing he could. In a state of half-wonder, he gathered Chihaya to him, stroking the wing-free side of his back as Aya stared up at the ceiling in shock.

His hand encountered a mass of scar tissue that hadn't been there before - what felt like the stump of a bone protruding from the boy's left shoulder. Clearly Chihaya _had_ possessed two wings at some point. The winged youth collapsed against him, crying raggedly into his shoulder, dark feathers drifting down slowly from where his wing was spread out above him.

"It's okay," he finally murmured, shaking himself to dispel the fog. "Chihaya... it's all right, lover."

Chihaya lifted his head enough to allow one teary violet eye to peer up at him from beneath the screen of dark purple hair. "You... you're not... disgusted with me?" he murmured, shocked.

"No," Aya hastened to reassure him, though his hand skittered away from the scar tissue and bone. _That_ would take some serious getting used to. "It would've be nice to know sooner, mind you," he said, raising a slender eyebrow at Chihaya. "But, no... I'm not disgusted." Before the youth could question him further, he reached out, catching the back of Chihaya's head and kissing him - deep but tender.

Chihaya kissed him back with desperate emotion, tasting of salt from the tears that still streamed over his cheeks. He pulled away after a moment, his eyes serious as he gazed at Aya. "You mustn't tell anyone. Not even your teammates. No one is supposed to know... what I am..."

"What _are_ you?" Aya asked, without promising. He couldn't resist another soft kiss, dropped on the corner of Chihaya's mouth.

Chihaya slanted him a warning look. "I'm serious, Aya," he said. "They... they could kill me, if they found out YOU knew. This entire mess with Morikawa stems from the fact that I was stupid enough to show my wings to an Earthian, once."

"Which doesn't explain what you are, Chihaya," Aya said calmly. "I won't betray you. I just want to know what I'm protecting, since I already know who."

Chihaya looked away, sighing. He pulled himself out of Aya's arms, curling up in a ball against the wall as was his wont when he was nervous - knees tucked to his chest, arms folded across them and chin resting on his arms. This time he had the addition of his knee-length hair shielding most of his face and body, as well as the black-feathered wing curving around his right side like a living feather blanket. "You would call us... 'tenshi'. 'Angels'. For lack of a better word, that's what I am."

"Angel?" he blinked, startled. A sudden thought occurred to him, and he spoke before he could censor himself. "Those women in the park...?"

Chihaya nodded. "Yes. I... am an exile. A 'Fallen Angel'. A 'lucifer', in our terms. It's forbidden for an angel to speak to a lucifer... they could have been cast out just for having contact with me. They knew what I was because... because of my hair." Chihaya touched a dark lock self-consciously.

Aya glowered suddenly, reaching out before Chihaya could stop him and dragging the angel to him. "Fuck them," he said roughly, cradling his lover's body.

Chihaya made a startled noise and resisted him for a moment, before relaxing slowly against him. The dark wing fluttered momentarily and settled over Aya's chest, the spicy scent of feathers filling his senses.

"If that's what they think, they're not good enough for _you_ ," Aya continued, stroking his fingers through the now-long hair as he got used to his lover's new body.

"You don't understand," Chihaya whispered into his shoulder, though the tension was slowly seeping from his body as Aya stroked him. "Angels don't die, Aya. Not ever... unless they're exiled. Something about Earth, or about being away from Eden, causes them to get sick and die. That's what happened to Kagetsuya. Angels have white wings and pale hair, ALWAYS. A few months before a lucifer is going to die, his or her wings and hair turn black. So to them... black hair and black wings are a death omen, and death is the one thing Angels fear above all else."

Aya tensed, then gathered his lover closer still. He said nothing, though, unable to quite figure out what to say to the knowledge that his lover would die in mere months, possibly less.

Chihaya glanced at him. "What's wrong? You suddenly went all tense..."

"I don't want to lose you now that I've finally found you," Aya admitted, hiding his face in Chihaya's hair.

"Lose me?" Chihaya repeated, sounding bewildered. "I... didn't plan on going anywhere..."

"Your hair... wings..." Aya whispered, pressing a kiss to Chihaya's temple.

Chihaya's eyes widened in understanding. "Oh. No, you see... I was born this way. With black wings. It's why... why they all hated me. Kagetsuya was the only one who would ever work with me... he hated EVERYONE, you see, so it didn't make any difference to him that his partner had black wings." Chihaya shrugged, looking faintly bitter. "Half the angels figured I was a walking omen of destruction, and the other half thought my wings meant that I was destined to Fall. I was almost glad to be exiled in the end... at least here on Earth, people don't cross the street to avoid touching me."

"Then you're not going to... to die?" Aya whispered, catching Chihaya's chin and holding him still as he searched his eyes.

Chihaya shrugged. "I could die tomorrow, if I was hit by a bus. For a long time after I found out what having black wings meant, I panicked that I would get sick and die. But I never did... I had to sit by and watch Kagetsuya waste away, but I never got so much as a sniffle." The bitterness was much stronger now. "I have a theory... that whatever it is in my genetic makeup that caused my wings to be black, is also protecting me from whatever kills angels on Earth. I've already lived much longer here than any other lucifer I've ever heard of."

Aya threaded his hand through Chihaya's hair, gazing at him for a long time before tucking him back against his chest. "Stay with me... for as long as we have..."

Chihaya kissed him impulsively. "You've got me for as long as you want me, Aya," he murmured, voice choked. "I guess I did something stupid after all... I don't want to lose you, either."

"What's so stupid about this?" Aya whispered, nestling his cheek against Chihaya's.

"I'm falling in love with you," Chihaya admitted softly. "It's only a beginning, but... the foundation is there. I promised I wouldn't do that, but I can't help myself." He sighed. "Kagetsuya always did say my wings made me too sensitive to others, even for a positive angel."

Aya blushed, closing his eyes as he said quietly, "I'm falling in love with you, too, Chihaya... I've never had love like this before. I'm not entirely certain what I'm doing, and I'll probably screw it up, but... I am."

"Screwing up is part of living," Chihaya told him wryly. "I learned that with Kagetsuya. But so long as we always remember that we love each other, we can get through the screw-ups, and come out stronger on the other side. I learned that, too."

"I'm not a good guy, Chihaya," Aya warned, drawing them down carefully so that Chihaya rested against his chest.

"Your soul is bright, despite the darkness you've surrounded it with," Chihaya corrected him gently. "I knew from the beginning that you were a good person, Aya. It's why I trusted you enough to go with you. I still don't understand exactly what it is that Kritiker and Weiß do, but from some things you and the others have let drop, I think I can guess. You're vigilantes, right?"

Aya nodded uncomfortably. "We stop those the police cannot touch, for whatever reason. We don't kill innocents. We try to help them."

"Then you ARE doing good, whatever your local justice system might have to say about the matter," Chihaya told him firmly. The stubborn look was back in his eyes. "It's a balance system, Aya... You've saved more lives than you've taken. You've done more good than bad."

"Don't paint me the selfless giver, Chihaya. I had my reasons for getting into this work," Aya said dryly, ignoring the way warmth spread through him at the words.

"I'm sure," Chihaya agreed dryly. "Most people don't generally take up this sort of thing on a whim. But I'm betting your reasons were NOT because you just wanted to cause pain and suffering. Or you wouldn't care about whether the people you killed were evil or innocent. I spent decades weighing situations just like this for good and evil traits, Aya... I may be an eternal optimist, but I know good when I see it."

Aya nodded, eyes beginning to close. He chuckled faintly. "I still don't want to see you as part of Weiß," he admitted. "I don't want you to be on our missions."

"We'll talk about it after Morikawa is dealt with," Chihaya told him. He yawned, and blinked sleepily. "I... should shift back to my human form. In case one of the others comes in. It feels so strange to be like this... I've hardly spent any time at all in this form since I... lost my wing."

"Go ahead," Aya murmured. "It can't be any more disturbing than watching you change while I'm buried inside you," he added, chuckling faintly. "When you're ready... when it's the right time... tell me what happened to your wing?"

"Messiah," Chihaya replied sadly. "When Ashiya was controlling him. I told you he attacked me... he ripped my wing off." His body tensed for a moment, then the wing was gone, the knee-length hair returning to the short hairstyle Aya had become familiar with. "I'm sorry about changing like that... it takes concentration to hold human form, and you overwhelmed me so badly I lost all control. That does NOT usually happen when I come," he added dryly.

"I'm sorry I overwhelmed you, lover," Aya murmured, stroking Chihaya's hair gently. His hand smoothed over his back, tender motions. "I didn't mean to."

Chihaya shook his head. "No... it was WONDERFUL," the angel exclaimed. "I guess it had just been so long... but it shouldn't happen again."

"You're welcome to change for me when we're alone," Aya whispered, as his eyes slid fully shut. "If it's more comfortable or something."

"Maybe I will," Chihaya murmured, his voice blurring as he gave in to the need for sleep. "Sweet dreams... love."

"Sweet dreams..." Aya returned, almost fully unconscious when his brain picked up on the last word. He fought for a moment to awaken, but the pull of sleep was too strong, and he slid into the darkness with a faint smile on his face.

* * *

 

"Aya..." The whispered name floated through the still room, fading away as Aya's face twisted in agony. He spoke the name again, voice strangled and choked by the tears slipping down over his temples and into the pillow beneath his head. His arm shaking badly, he reached out, flinching when he encountered nothing but thin air.

Chihaya woke to the sound of strangled crying. Forcing his eyes open, he looked over to see that Aya was clearly having a nightmare. He caught the out-flung hand, murmuring his lover's name softly.

Aya winced at Chihaya's voice, jerking away. "No!" He turned suddenly, the abrupt movement throwing him off of the bed. As he landed on the floor, he seemed to wake, sitting and starting at the bedroom doorway without any real comprehension.

"Aya?" Chihaya leaned over the edge of the bed, looking down at the other man. "Are you awake?"

He got no answer for several seconds, before Aya turned, looking at Chihaya almost curiously. Reaching out, he touched Chihaya's cheek, seeming to finally return to himself. "Chihaya..." He shook his head to clear it.

Chihaya caught his hand again. "Are you all right? You looked like you were having a nightmare."

His eyes distanced, skittering away from Chihaya's briefly. "I was," he said once, nodding as he rose. "It happens occasionally."

"Generally," Chihaya agreed, still watching him closely. "Does that mean you don't want to talk about it?"

Sliding carefully back into the bed so as not to displace Chihaya too much, he gathered the angel into his arms, holding him just a touch too tightly. "It's in the past," he whispered into the dark hair. "She's safe now."

Chihaya rested his head on Aya's shoulder. "The past affects us, makes us who were are," he murmured.

"It's not even a real nightmare," he sighed, not wanting to lay down just then. Instead, he scooted so that his back was against the wall, drawing Chihaya with him. His arms relaxed then, still holding Chihaya but not in the almost bruising grip he had been. "It never happened. We stopped it."

"If it's a bad dream, it's a nightmare," Chihaya pointed out. "Whether it's a memory doesn't really matter. It bothers you."

"It's about my... my sister," Aya sighed, finally giving into the need to talk.

"I didn't know you had a sister," Chihaya said.

Aya nodded faintly. "I know. I don't... I don't talk about her much anymore. I don't want her tainted by this life." He shook faintly.

Chihaya regarded him steadily. "What do you mean?"

He closed his eyes, pulling an arm free long enough to wipe the wetness on his face away roughly. "She's innocent of all this. She's not a killer like me. I don't want the blood to touch her."

Chihaya reached up and caught a tear Aya had missed. "You miss her very much..."

Aya sucked in a breath at the touch, catching Chihaya's wrist and holding his hand there. "She's my life."

"Does she know about all of this?"

"I don't think so," Aya shook his head. "Unless Sakura told her. I'd rather she not know, really."

"I hate to see you hurting like this," Chihaya said. "I wish there was something I could do..."

"I made my choices," Aya said roughly, cradling Chihaya a little closer. "It's just been hard to say goodbye to her. Aya... was everything." He buried his face in his lover's silk hair, just breathing in Chihaya's scent as he waited for the pain to finally pass.

Chihaya blinked. "Aya? Her name is Aya?"

He felt Aya's breathing falter, stopping for a moment before finally beginning again. "...Yes."

Chihaya made a small sound. He seemed uncertain whether he should say anything... as if he wanted to ask, but sensed that it was a private, painful subject.

Aya remained quiet for several minutes, long enough that Chihaya began to wonder whether he'd finally gone to sleep before he whispered, "Ran... Fujimiya Ran."

Chihaya regarded him for a long moment, then smiled sweetly. "It suits you... but so does 'Aya'."

"Thank you...," Aya whispered, leaning in and pressing a salty kiss to Chihaya's lips, gratitude mixed with a need for comfort.

Chihaya kissed him back gently, a gesture more affectionate and comforting than erotic.

They remained there, seated with Aya's back to the wall and Chihaya in his lap, wound together, for the better part of an hour before Aya felt safe enough to chance sleep once more. Though he said nothing, Chihaya seemed to realize exactly when he was prepared to lay down, and squirmed away long enough for them to settle back onto the bed in a comfortable position, Chihaya once more cradled in Aya's arms as Aya stared upward. He listened to Chihaya's breathing even out before closing his eyes and following his lover into slumber.

* * *

 

Chihaya smiled brightly as the customer left the store, clutching a potted begonia in her hands. Aya reflected that between Omi and Chihaya, the shop was getting a reputation for adorable salesboys... this was the fourth middle-aged woman today who had come in and immediately exclaimed over the two of them "Oh aren't you just the cutest things ever!" At least Chihaya was getting the hang of the basics of the florists job... he was able to handle the routine bits that often ate up the time of the other four, leaving them to do the more difficult jobs. Chihaya wiped sweat from his brow and leaned back against the table, glancing around the shop which was now empty save for Omi and Aya. "They're very sweet, but I wish they'd stop pinching my cheeks like that," the angel complained mildly, rubbing the offended body part ruefully.

Aya couldn't help chuckling, reaching out to brush his fingers against Chihaya's cheek. The caress lingered slightly, just long enough for the two of them to blush faintly before he let his hand drop. "It could be worse, you know," he pointed out mildly. "They _could_ be flirting with you." Turning back to the arrangement he'd been working on, Aya asked quietly, "Did you want to go sketching again, or do something a little different today?"

Omi coughed into his hand at the sight of Aya touching Chihaya tenderly, and buried himself in his work with a wide grin on his face. Chihaya blushed a bit more, but didn't hide his eyes. "Did you have something in mind?" he asked Aya curiously.

Staring studiously at the flowers as he carefully put them into place, Aya murmured, "I thought we might try a picnic. There's a botanical garden that allows picnickers." Chihaya could easily see red rising into his cheeks yet again.

The smaller man lit up with a bright smile. "Oh, that sounds lovely!" he exclaimed. He glanced at the clock. "Shift is almost over... shall we start getting ready?"

Omi glanced up at smiled at them both. "There's sandwich makings in the fridge - I went grocery shopping yesterday. Chihaya, would you please empty the rubbish bin in the back before you go upstairs, though? It's overflowing, and if I let go of these flowers the whole arrangement is going to collapse."

Chihaya nodded. "Sure, no problem. Aya, why don't you go make the sandwiches and I'll meet you back here?"

Aya nodded, watching Chihaya bemusedly for a moment before putting the last flower into place in his own arrangement and stowing it in the cooler. "Yohji can deliver it this afternoon," he said to Omi as he headed upstairs. "The address is on the tag." He smiled faintly, murmuring a thank you before heading up to make the sandwiches.

When he descended to the flower shop once more, picnic basket in hand, Chihaya was nowhere to be seen. Omi was still at the table, the tip of his tongue peeking out from between his lips as he concentrated on his work. It had taken Aya a good fifteen or twenty minutes to get the sandwiches ready and find the basket, so he was surprised not to see his little lover waiting for him.

"Omi," Aya said, frowning as he sat the picnic basket on one corner of the table. "Have you seen Chihaya?" Even before his teammate answered, Aya was heading toward the back door and rubbish bin, a feeling of wrongness in his chest.

"Eh?" Omi looked up and blinked, a bit confused. "Chihaya? Didn't he go upstairs to meet you?" The boy was frowning as he spoke, and he jumped up out of his chair to follow Aya. "Come to think of it, I didn't hear him come back in, but I was thinking pretty hard..."

Outside the back door there was a small alley, leading to the garbage bins for the shop and the garage where Weiß kept their vehicles. The only sign that Chihaya had been there was the bag of garbage he had been carrying. It had been dropped unceremoniously on the ground, its contents scattered across the alley.

" _FUCK_ ," Aya growled, hurrying back to the basket and digging the tracer out of it. His heart was in his throat as he thought of how far away they could really be by now, depending on how they'd taken him. He turned on the unit, watching it as he allowed himself to slip into the mask of a mission, seeking to control his worry before it got the better of him.

It took far too long for the little blip to show up, and when it did appear it was faint and at the edge of the screen. "They're almost out of range," Omi said, already snatching his helmet off the rack beside the door. "We don't have time to call the others. Grab Ken's helmet and keys... the bikes will be able to take shortcuts your car wouldn't be able to manage."

Aya nodded, hurrying into the mission room to grab his katana before following Omi's instructions. He kept his eye on the blip, praying it wouldn't fade before they could catch up to it. "I'll lead, Bombay," he said sharply, then straddled Ken's bike, starting it and guiding it out into the traffic.

Omi was right behind him. Neither were in their mission clothes - there hadn't been time to change - but Aya knew from previous experience that Omi would have his darts with him nonetheless. The tracker led them steadily north and a bit east, still hovering right on the edge of their range.

Scowling, Aya wished for the communicators, but in his hurry, he hadn't thought to pick them up, and so had no way to talk to Omi. Grateful the tracker could be fixed to the bike, he kept an eye on it, kicking up the speed as fast as he dared to go.

It took them almost an hour of weaving in and out of traffic to reach the outskirts of the city. Just as the last of the buildings fell away behind them, the tracker beeped twice urgently and faded away completely.

Aya's heart stopped, his face gone suddenly white. He pulled to the side of the road, checking the tracker to ensure that it was still working properly, his hands moving almost feverishly over it.

Omi skidded to a stop beside him, and flipped the visor of his helmet off, holding out a hand. "Here, let me see it," the hacker urged.

Aya handed it over, waiting impatiently.

Omi fiddled with it, then shook his head. "Nothing. They're out of range. Damn it!" He shook his head. "We could just keep going in this direction and hope it'll kick in again, but if they make any turns we'll lose them entirely."

"I keep going. You go back and inform the others," Aya decided abruptly, plucking the tracker from Omi's hands and setting it back on the bike before flicking down his visor.

"Hai," Omi agreed. "Call me on your cell if you find them. I'll see if I can throw a more powerful receiver together with the parts I have back at the Koneko. Don't engage them alone, Abyssinian!" He flipped his visor back down and spun the bike around, tearing off back towards the city.

Without answering, Aya headed off, aiming the way he had been as fast as the bike could possibly manage.


	6. Chapter 6

He traveled for another twenty minutes, but there was no sign of a reaction on the tracker. Just as he was beginning to fear that they must have turned and he'd lost them altogether, a small deer bounded out across the road directly in front of him, freezing when it saw the bike bearing down on it.

Aya slowed, almost jerking on the handlebar as he swerved to avoid the deer. The bike pulled around it, slowing as he turned to face the deer once more, his heart beating a vigorous tattoo in the hollow of his throat. He gasped for breath, calming himself as he stared at the wild creature.

The deer snorted at him, pawing the ground twice and ducking its head before dashing off the road heading back in the direction it had come. Before Aya could move, a small flock of birds dive-bombed him, shrieking as they flew close past his head.

He threw his hands up over his head, trying to fend off the sharp beak before they could attack exposed skin. "What the HELL is going on?!" he demanded to thin air, staring at the path the deer took.

The birds made no attempt to touch him, though they passed so close the wind of their flight ruffled his clothes. They wheeled around above him, one or two occasionally darting off in the direction the deer had gone before returning to the flock.

Aya turned his bike to head back to the Koneko, noting that the birds suddenly picked up energy as he pointed in the direction of the deer. Bewildered, wondering what the hell he was doing, he turned back in that direction again, looking up at the birds before revving his engine and heading off.

The birds screeched and flew ahead of him, darting and weaving in the cloud but always heading in the same direction. After about five minutes of travel, the deer appeared again, off to one side, and the birds changed direction towards it.

Now convinced he was certifiably insane, Aya followed suit, heading toward the deer as well.

They led him on a merry chase, weaving and winding through the increasingly heavy forest, heading away from the city. They moved slower than the bike was capable of, but still fast enough that Aya had trouble dodging the trees.

He kept up with them, though as the chase continued he began to believe he'd been a fool to start. Odd actions or no, wildlife did _not_ normally lead one to captive lovers.

At last he saw light up ahead, as if the heavy foliage suddenly ended in a clearing or meadow of some kind. The birds swirled in the air just before the end of the trees, blocking his path.

He came to a halt, staring at the birds strangely. Parking the bike, he swung off of it, slipping his helmet off and setting it on one handle before padding forward, keeping his head bent away from the birds just in case.

Reaching the tree line, he saw that the trees had been cut back for some distance around a small complex. There was a heavy-duty security fence around the perimeter, and judging by the animal carcasses at the edge of the fence, it was electrified. The birds flew towards one of the tiny, barred windows on the right side of the building.

Scowling at the dead animals, Aya edged closer, careful to stay free of the fence as he searched for a better view of the small window.

The window was too high and much too small for him to see through it - hardly a window at all, more of an air vent. The birds were taking it in turn to perch on the grille, cheeping into the room inside.

He started to search along the fence for a weak patch before it occurred to him that the tracker was still on his bike. Hurrying back to the machine, he switched it on and waited, heart pounding as he stared at the screen.

The indicator started flashing immediately, pointed straight at the window the birds were hovering around and flashing fast enough to indicate that he was very close to Chihaya.

He looked from the screen to the window and back to the screen, then shut it off, grabbing his cell phone and calling Omi.

"Hai?" Omi answered after a minute.

"I've found him," Aya said, watching the building. "They're keeping him in a building complex out in the middle of nowhere. Security fence around the perimeter - electrified. I have no idea what their other security measures are at this time."

"Siberian has a GPS system on his bike... can you tell me the co-ordinates?" Omi replied.

Aya blinked, then fiddled with the system, calling up the coordinates and repeating them carefully to Omi.

"I've found the others, but it will take us at LEAST an hour to get there," Omi said. "Stay put until we reach you, no matter what!"

"I'll be here, Bombay," Aya nodded, raking a hand through his hair. He shut off the phone, then paced back to the fence, staring at the small window where the birds hovered. "We'll get you out, Calico," he muttered, barely managing to keep his mission face intact.

He'd been waiting for about half an hour when the sound of an agonized scream rent the air, causing the birds to abandon the window in droves. It was followed by another, and another, each more heart-wrenching than the last.

He almost went for the fence, barely managing to remind himself in time that it was electrified, that climbing it would only result in both their deaths... or worse. He glanced at the bike, then started making his way around the fence, once more searching for a weak spot.

He spotted one place where the trees had gotten too close to the fence - when Omi arrived, they'd be able to use the same trick they'd pulled to get into Masafumi's mansion; climbing the tree, shooting a wire over the top of the fence and sliding down inside. But it wasn't something he could take advantage of until Omi arrived with the others. Twice more while he waited the screams sounded, growing hoarser and more desperate each time.

He forced himself not to act, barely managing each time. Getting himself killed was _not_ an option, not when Chihaya needed him. He paced the length of the ground between the tree and bike several times, waiting impatiently for the others to arrive, almost gnawing through his own lip to remain silent when the screams came.

Finally he head the distant sound of footsteps in the forest, accompanied by a muffled curse from Yohji. "Abyssinian?" Omi called in a hushed whisper.

He hurried back, face pale and drawn. "Bombay," he answered, gesturing them toward the tree. "This looks like our best bet."

Omi tossed him his headset, and scrutinized the area. "Yeah, looks like it. Let me get up there." He swarmed up the tree, crossbow slung over his back. Once perched near the top, he fired a bolt trailing a strong lightweight wire over the top of the fence. It thudded into a corner of the building, leaving just enough room for them to slide over if they tucked their legs up.

Aya hurried over, protected by Omi's crossbow. Landing on the other side, he waited for Yohji and Omi to drop down beside him, then pointed to the window. "That's where he is. They're doing _something_ to him. He's screamed a few times." He couldn't quite keep the worry and fear from his voice. "I haven't seen anyone patrolling the building, but I haven't been watching it the entire time, either."

Ken was the last one over, and he squinted at the building just as another scream rang out. "Jesus... what the hell are they DOING to the poor kid?"

Aya winced, closing his eyes briefly. "I don't know," he said coldly, forcing himself to remain focused. "Let's go."

They found the door easily enough, and Omi picked the lock after a few agonizing moments of waiting. Making their way inside, they slid down the halls, watching for security.

"We'll need to find a way to get back through the fence when we're done," Aya said softly, the communicator they'd brought him making it possible for them all to hear him without his voice really breaking the silence. "Objectives are to take out the target, get Calico, and get out safely. Anything else?"

"There should be a way to turn off the fence from inside," Omi pointed out. "Otherwise they wouldn't be able to get in and out. Balinese and I will look for the control room. Abyssinian and Siberian find Calico and the target. Watch out for those damn bio-humanoids!"

Aya nodded, heading off with Ken before Omi could say more. _Hold on, Chihaya,_ he thought anxiously, searching the hallways for a direction to go. _We're coming._

Ken behind him, they headed through the building in the direction of the room the birds had been watching. They knew they were getting close when the screams sounded again, echoing from a corridor ahead of them.

Aya glanced briefly at Ken, and the two broke into a full run, heading straight for the sound with weapons drawn.

One of the bio-humanoids was standing guard outside a heavy door, arms crossed over his chest. He glared at them as they came around the corner. "Come back to die, have you?" he growled, taking up a fighting stance.

Aya attacked, seemingly without pausing for thought. He didn't break stride, charging in and striking at the target as he gauged its skill.

It deflected his sword easily - simply swatting it out of the way with its bare arm. Then it reached with its other hand, closing a massive fist around the blade, effectively immobilizing Aya's weapon.

With Aya's sword pinned in the fist, Ken took the opening, darting in to gouge the shoulder deeply. He barely managed to dance out of the way of the second hand, doing so just as Aya slid his sword from the grip by pushing off against the bio-humanoid with his heel, landing on his back once his sword was free.

The shoulder wound was spitting sparks, but the cyborg seemed enraged rather than dismayed. "I'll crush you both!" it screamed, charging forward to land a solid punch in Ken's mid-section, sending the dark-haired man flying backwards to crash into the wall.

Aya used the time to leap back to his feet, holding his ground while Ken got up. The two glanced at each other, then charged together, angling themselves so that they were coming in from his sides. Aya raised his sword, aiming it directly for the head, while Ken focused on the throat.

The bio-humanoid caught his sword again and used it for leverage as he leaned to one side, kicking Ken squarely in the chest and sending him flying once more. This time Ken didn't get up as quickly, clutching at his ribs and coughing up flecks of blood. From inside the room came another scream. From this distance there was no mistaking Chihaya's voice.

The sound seemed to propel Aya into action again. He feinted at the humanoid, dancing around so that he was before the door, barely diving out of the way when their opponent struck out again, damaging the door.

The bio-humanoid was now facing Aya, away from Ken. The brunette staggered to his feet, a grim look on his face, and charged the thing from behind, planting his claws firmly where the robot's kidneys would have been if he'd had such a thing, and ripping upwards. Sparks shot everywhere, scorching the assassin badly as the bio-humanoid howled in pain.

Before the creature could turn on Ken again, Aya attacked, keeping his attention with a kick to his face that was deflected. He stumbled, slamming against the door as he tried to keep his balance.

Ken brought his other claw around and buried it in the robot's jaw, wrenching its head up and around, exposing the neck. "Now, Abyssinian!" the other assassin screamed. "Take its head off!"

Aya nodded, bringing his sword into a shining arc that achieved Ken's aim precisely.

The sword grated against metal, ripping through the cyborg's neck with sheer brute force. Wire tangled around the blade as it exited, but it didn't matter... the bio-humanoid had collapsed to the ground, leaving Ken panting and rather scorched looking behind it.

Aya glanced at his companion, nodding once in sympathy before turning to the door, already partially caved-in from the bio-humanoid's kick. He aimed another, less-powerful kick to it, and the door shuddered, nearly flying open.

Inside Chihaya had been strung up by his wrists, his arms twisted around behind him so that he was leaning forward with his arms stretched up behind him. His wing arched up over his back, drooping as if he was too exhausted to hold it up properly. Feathers detached and slowly drifted down - there was already a carpet of the glossy black feathers on the floor. Morikawa stood before him, siphoning blood from him through a large tube.

Aya didn't hesitate, moving straight for Morikawa with bloodlust held barely in check enough to keep his head. He swung before Ken had even reached the doorway, aiming for the neck again, fury shining in his eyes though he didn't make a sound.

Morikawa dropped the instrument he was holding and tried to run, shouting for his bio-humanoid guards. He didn't make it three steps before he was impaled on Aya's katana, blood dripping back along the length of the blade to run over his ungloved hands. Morikawa screamed, and Chihaya stirred faintly at the sound, looking up. "A-Aya?" he rasped out, voice hoarse from screaming.

Aya jerked the katana upward viciously, ensuring that the blow was a killing one before pulling his sword free. He wiped it off quickly, sliding it into its sheath and moving to release Chihaya from his bonds. "I'm here," he said, voice harsh as he fought to keep control. "Siberian... how are we doing? Any sign of more guards?"

There was a strangled noise from behind him that was no sort of answer. Glancing back over his shoulder, he saw Ken standing frozen in the doorway, staring at Chihaya with a pole-axed look.

"Siberian! FOCUS!" Aya snarled, well aware that he was being unreasonable. "Guards!"

Chihaya moaned and collapsed into Aya's arms once the ropes were released. His back was raw and bleeding, and he seemed to be drugged, his pupils huge and unable to focus. "Y-you came," he stuttered, sounding shocked. "You r-really came..." Ken was still doing a wonderful impression of a statue in the doorway.

Aya juggled Chihaya into a relatively comfortable position for them, then looked back at Ken. "He's not human," Aya said shortly, glaring at his teammate. "We've seen others before. Get a grip and let's get the hell out of here before they tear us apart." He waved at the bio-humanoid's corpse.

"B-b-but... he... wings...." Ken was clearly unable to form a complete thought, let alone a complete sentence. Chihaya's single wing fluttered in reaction to the angel's distress, nearly hitting Aya in the face.

"Siberian, we need to find Bombay and Balinese and get _out_ of here!" Aya growled, cuddling Chihaya a little closer to him. "Lover... can you shift back before we find the others?" he asked gently. "Do you have enough strength?"

"I... I don't... know..." Chihaya managed to get out. He shifted in Aya's arms, and slowly, torturously slowly, his wings slid into his back and his hair shortened until he was in his human form. He collapsed, panting, the effort clearly having taken the last of his strength.

Aya gathered him back up, carrying him tenderly. "Good, Calico. That's right..." he murmured, praising the boy even as he turned a glare back to Ken. "Let's _go_ , Siberian!" he demanded.

Chihaya let his head rest against Aya's shoulder, while Ken finally took a step back out of the doorway. He still didn't take his eyes off the angel's face, however. "Siberian, Abyssinian," Omi's voice came over their communicators. "Have you found Calico or the target?"

"Target is down. Calico is safe. We're making our way to you, now. Where are we headed?" Aya said sharply, using a foot to nudge Ken out the door before slipping past him.

"North side of the building. That's where the gate in the fence is. I've wiped the computer, and we've destroyed one of the robots. I'm shutting down the electricity to the fence now." Omi replied.

"We took another one of the robots out," Aya nodded, heading toward Omi. He checked behind him once to see if Ken was following or not, and shifted Chihaya so that the angel rested a little more comfortably against him. "Is there any way to shut the electricity down permanently?" he asked, thinking of the dead animals he'd seen.

"Unless somebody turns it back on after we leave, it'll stay off," Omi said. "Kritiker will probably send someone out here to shut the place down completely after we make our report."

"Good," Aya nodded, falling silent as the two Weiß assassins made their way to their teammates. "Bombay, Balinese," Aya greeted them, when they arrived. "Let's get _out_ of here!"

Omi nodded, and they made their way quickly back out. "We had to leave the car way back on the road," Yohji said. "Couldn't get it through all the trees. It'll be a bit of a hike, but we should be able to make it."

"No problem," Aya nodded. "Bombay, can you see to Siberian while we walk? He got hurt in the fight." He fell back behind the others a bit as they tramped through the woods, not wanting to listen to Ken tell the others about the wing just yet.

Amazingly, Ken kept his mouth shut on the way back home - not just about the wing, but about anything and everything. He was apparently still in shock. As Omi was unable to find an actual wound, he simply wrapped Ken in his extra jacket and tried to keep the other boy warm until they reached the Koneko. Likewise Chihaya was draped in Aya's trench, which they had brought with them in case he needed it. The little angel slept until Yohji brought the car to a stop, rousing only when Aya stood and picked him up again.

Aya looked at the others, then headed up to his apartment, carefully tucking Chihaya into the futon. "Are you okay, lover?" he asked tenderly, stroking a hand down the side of Chihaya's face.

"Sleepy," the little angel murmured in reply. His pupils were still huge, though his words were becoming less slurred. "Drugged, I think... and I hurt everywhere..."

"Will you be all right here while I go debrief?" Aya questioned, brushing a hand through Chihaya's bangs.

'Yes, just... need to sleep," Chihaya replied, his eyes already sliding closed once more. He looked especially young and vulnerable at the moment, something delicate and fragile about him.

Aya stared at him for several minutes, then turned abruptly, striding out of the room before he slid into bed beside his angel. He headed down to the mission room, meeting the others already gathered there.

Ken was sitting on the couch, wrapped tightly in a blanket, still staring blankly at the floor. Omi was hovering over him in concern, and even Yohji looked less relaxed than usual. Omi turned to Aya as the redhead came down the stairs. "Aya-kun, what HAPPENED?" the youngest Weiß demanded. "He still hasn't said a single word..."

"Could I talk to him alone for a few minutes?" Aya asked, watching his other two teammates quietly. "I'll explain afterward."

Omi made an exasperated noise, but finally nodded and drew Yohji off up the stairs, leaving Ken alone with Aya.

Aya knelt before Ken, searching his teammate's eyes for a long minute before saying, "Ken?"

Ken flinched, and finally looked back at him. "We're all gonna die, aren't we?" he asked hoarsely. Aya realized his right hand was clutching at something inside his shirt.

Startled, Aya shook his head, reaching carefully for Ken's hand. "We're not going to die, Ken," he said gently.

"B-but... he was... he was an ANGEL, Aya," Ken insisted, eyes large and glazed with shock. "And that man was torturing him..."

Pulling Ken's hand free of his shirt, he began cautiously opening it. "The man was torturing him, yes. And we stopped the man. We're not going to die, Ken," Aya murmured. "But we also are not supposed to know what Chihaya is."

"But his... his WING, Aya," Ken said. "How can God forgive a human doing that to an Angel?"

"I don't know," Aya said, feeling vaguely uncomfortable with the conversation. "But we didn't do that to Chihaya. We are not at fault." He finally got Ken's hand free and looked at what was inside.

A heavy, simple steel cross hung on a chain around Ken's neck. The metal was worn in places, as if it had been gripped many, many thousands of times. Aya vaguely remembered seeing Ken touch a spot high on his chest before missions - touching the cross for luck or hope, presumably.

"Ken... we aren't supposed to know," Aya repeated, swallowing at the sight of the cross.

"But why... Morikawa must have known, must have realized... how could he DO that? How crazy WAS he?" Ken demanded, snatching the cross back from him and holding it tightly. "I know most people in Japan don't believe in Christianity, but... a real live ANGEL, Aya, standing right in front of you... how can you disbelieve?"

"Some people don't care, Ken," Aya sighed, glancing at the stairs as he thought about the boy asleep in his room. "About themselves or anyone else."

"But how... why is he here? What's going to happen to us?" Ken wanted to know.

"He's here because we saved him from Morikawa the first time," Aya said, shrugging faintly. "As for the rest... I don't know. We can't tell the others what he is, though."

"Is he gonna... go back to heaven now?" Ken asked. "Won't the rest of them be angry about his wing?"

"I don't think he'll be going to heaven just yet," Aya murmured sadly.

"It's not what you think, Ken-san," Chihaya's voice came from the stairs. Aya whipped around to see his angel lover leaning heavily against the railing for support - somehow he'd made it through the door and halfway down the stairs without being heard. Again.

Aya rose, hurrying to his lover and offering his support as Chihaya made his way slowly down the stairs and to the couch.

Ken flinched away from him, looking scared to touch the smaller boy. "Wh-what do you mean?" he asked Chihaya.

Chihaya smiled shyly at him. "You're Christian, aren't you? That's why it shocked you so badly. But... I'm not what you think. There are legends of people with wings all over the world, not just in Christian mythology. Because we were so much more advanced than you, we'd come to Earth to watch over you... and over time, we became religious figures in a lot of cultures."

Aya listened curiously, standing nearby and wanting desperately to touch his wounded lover. "What are you saying, Chihaya?" he asked softly.

"We're not any closer to God than you are," Chihaya said. "We're just... different from you. A race that evolved parallel to humans, I suppose."

Ken glanced over at him. "So then... are you saying that Christianity is wrong? That the Bible is a lie?"

Chihaya shrugged. "Parts of it are misinterpretations. The parts about my people. But that doesn't mean the rest of it might not be right. I don't know."

Hesitantly, Aya moved to Chihaya, touching his shoulder. "Are you okay, Ken?" he asked gently.

"I... I... I don't know..." Ken admitted in a shaky voice. "This is all... a hell of a lot to take in..." he sounded almost as dazed as Chihaya.

"We have to figure out what to tell Yohji and Omi," Aya sighed, looking at the two.

"Maybe... do you think they'd believe that my wings are a result of something Morikawa did to me?" Chihaya asked hesitantly. "If they thought I was born as a human, it would make things easier."

"We've seen things like that before," Aya nodded slowly, running his fingers through Chihaya's hair slowly. "They'd probably believe it. I would have, if you hadn't told me."

"Really?" Chihaya looked at him in dismay. "Damn... I wish I'd known that before I told you the truth!"

"He wasn't winged," Aya shook his head. "And... it was a rather vicious monster." He rubbed the back of his skull in memory. He leaned in, pressing a kiss to Chihaya's forehead. "We can be trusted with secrets, lover."

Chihaya nodded, leaning against his briefly. "It's not that I don't trust you, exactly... but the more people who know what I am, the more danger I - and you! - are in. Both from Earthians who would want to study me, and from my own people."

Aya scowled at the mention of the other angels, his arm slipping around Chihaya. "Ken... are you willing to do this?" he asked softly, not really sure what their alternative was if Ken wasn't willing to make the promise.

"I... I guess so... I mean, we don't seem to have much of a choice, do we?" Ken asked. "But why would you be in danger from your own people, Chihaya?"

Chihaya lowered his face until his eyes were shadowed by his thick bangs. "I'm an outcast. They're forbidden to have contact with me. I can never leave Earth. But..." he glanced up Aya, and his eyes were shining with hope. "I don't care, anymore... I've finally found something to live for again."

Startled by the declaration, Aya looked down at him with wide eyes, his fingers coming up to brush Chihaya's cheek delicately. He swallowed, not quite sure what to say to that, in turns desperate to make Chihaya see how dark his life really was and not wanting to give Chihaya up.

"I think... I'm gonna go to bed," Ken finally said after an awkward moment watching the two of them. He seemed less shaken now, at least. "I need to think about all this. I'll tell Omi he can just send the mission report tomorrow... it's not like Manx was expecting us to finish it tonight or anything. She doesn't even know we went out." He hesitated, then added, "You're always welcome here, Chihaya. You've been good for Aya." So saying he made his way up the stairs and out the door.

Aya watched him go, frowning faintly at the abrupt departure. Looking down at Chihaya, he smoothed his frown away. "You should be asleep, Chihaya. You need to heal. I can talk to Yohji and Omi."

"I was... dreaming..." Chihaya shuddered against him and closed his eyes. "When I woke up I wanted to see you. And then I remembered that Ken had seen me, and I thought I should deal with it."

Aya nodded, holding Chihaya close. "I'm glad you did. If... if you want to wait until I'm done talking to Yohji and Omi... I could curl up with you then."

"That sounds good. Do you want me to come with you, though? So I'll know what you tell them, and I won't trip up your story later?"

Aya looked at him, then nodded. He drew Chihaya to his feet, offering a firm arm to the angel. "We'll need to get some food into you soon, too," he said, almost as an afterthought. "All the energy you burned... and the odds are good that Morikawa didn't feed you, did he?"

"He had me on an IV,'" Chihaya said, indicating the needle tracks on his arm. "But I could use some food."

"I'll fix you something before we head to bed," Aya nodded. "Something that you can munch on during the night, too," he added thoughtfully as they made their way up the stairs. At the top, they came face to face with Omi and Yohji, and Aya blinked, flushing faintly as he noted the worry and irritation in Omi's face.

"Well?" the younger boy demanded. "Ken-kun wouldn't say anything, except that I should do the mission report tomorrow. What is going ON? Aya-kun?

"Morikawa was experimenting on Chihaya," Aya said tiredly, meeting Omi's eyes easily. His voice didn't change as he continued. "He's apparently made Chihaya capable of transformation, though even Chihaya isn't exactly sure what the right circumstances are to trigger the transformation." He squeezed Chihaya's hand tightly, his face not changing in the slightest.

Omi's expression softened immediately, and he gave the angel a sympathetic look. "Transform? Into what? How awful for you!"

"I have wings," Chihaya admitted shyly. "Or rather, _a_ wing. One of them got torn off. And I seem to have some unusual abilities, too... I heal faster, and I have a... rapport with animals."

"Ken saw the wing and it startled him," Aya said quietly. "We've just been explaining things to him. I thought it'd be better to talk privately first."

"Oh... that explains a LOT," Omi agreed, blinking. "Ken-kun's Catholic. It must have been a shock for him."

Aya nodded. "Yes. You can imagine the conclusions he drew about it," he said, making his voice dry with effort.

"Hell, it would have been a shock for ME, and I'm not even religious, much less Christian," Yohji drawled. "But you'd better stay out of the shop for a while, kiddo, until you figure out what triggers the change. You don't want people knowing about this, or they'll be swarming you to study you." Chihaya shuddered beside Aya.

"Just what we were thinking," Aya nodded. "I don't think it's something normal," he continued, keeping firm hold of Chihaya's hand. "Apparently, he could change before we rescued him the first time, and he never has in the shop or while we were out, so I think it has to be really special circumstances." Shrugging, Aya glanced at them both. "Mission report can wait until tomorrow, right Omi? I don't think Chihaya _or_ Ken is in any condition to think about it."

"No, that's fine," Omi agreed. "Manx doesn't even know we were out last night. Tomorrow is early enough. Is Chihaya-kun staying, then? We'll have to find him a bedroom... you can't keep sleeping on the floor forever, Aya-kun. I suppose you two won't need to pretend to be lovers any more."

Aya's cheeks burned brightly suddenly, and he slanted a glance to Chihaya before looking back at Omi. "I don't think that will be necessary," he said softly.

"Well, no, that's what I said," Omi agreed, confused. "It's not necessary for you to pretend anymore. I'm sure that will be a relief for you..."

"I meant finding him another bedroom won't be necessary," Aya said, voice firm but quiet. He kept his fingers tightly laced in Chihaya's.

Chihaya blushed faintly, and Omi blinked. Yohji nudged him, and nodded at their twined fingers. "Oh. OH! Oh, well, then..." Omi blushed as well. "Uh... well, I'm glad it worked out, then."

Aya met Yohji's eyes briefly, smiling at the older man before drawing Chihaya down the hall toward the kitchen. "Sit while I make us something," he directed, hesitating over letting go of Chihaya's hand. After the afternoon's scare, all he really wanted was to hold his lover close until he finally calmed down.

Chihaya squeezed his fingers. "Really, I'd rather just go to bed for now," the little angel admitted shyly. "I'm exhausted, and I feel like I don't want to let go of you. Like if I let go, I'll wake up and you rescuing me will all have been a dream."

"Are you certain?" Aya asked, even as he raised a hand to thread it through Chihaya's hair. "If you need food..."

"I'll be fine. I'll eat lots tomorrow. Please?" Chihaya looked up at him with shining eyes.

Aya nodded helplessly, following Chihaya into the bedroom and shutting the door behind them. "I don't want to let you go, either," Aya said finally, once they were well and truly alone. "I keep thinking about how terrified I was when I realized you were gone."

Chihaya hugged him suddenly, wrapping his arms tight around the taller man's waist and squeezing. "The birds said you were coming... but I could hardly bring myself to hope... I thought it would be just like the last time. Months and months of desperation... and then he did something, I don't know what, and my body reacted by putting my wings out, I couldn't stop it..." he seemed to realize he was babbling and cut himself off with a choked sob.

"Tell me everything," Aya whispered, holding Chihaya tight. Ignoring the fact that they were both still fully clothed, he moved them to the bed, sitting down on it as he cradled his lover close. "Just talk until you don't need to talk anymore."

The words seemed to come pouring out of the angel like a pent up flood. He spoke of tortures no man should be forced to endure - not just today, but on the other occasions he'd been captured by Morikawa and Ashiya. He spoke of the treatment he'd received in Eden, the way people had whispered behind his back that he was destined to fall, that he was a death omen. He spoke of the years of aching loneliness he'd gone through since Kagetsuya had died. Through it all he clung to Aya like a leech, sobbing into his shirt.

Aya just held him, stroking his back and listening. His own cheeks were wet with sympathetic tears, and each time Chihaya got too choked up to continue, he waited, murmuring soothing assurances and reminders. It was painful to listen to, and he couldn't even begin to imagine how painful it must have been to live through.

At last the sobs began to die, and Chihaya slowly quieted. "I'm sorry I doubted that you'd come for me," he finally whispered. "I've just been alone for so long..."

"It's okay, love," Aya murmured, pressing a kiss to each eye and tasting salt. "But I won't ever leave you alone willingly."

"I love you," Chihaya whispered. "I wish I could be with you forever. It's not fair... it's just not fair!"

Aya blinked, frowning at Chihaya's sudden anger. "What's wrong, lover? What's not fair?'

"Your lives are so short," Chihaya said. "I'll hardly have you longer than I did Kagetsuya. And then I'll be alone again."

Aya blinked, startled. "But.. you... Chihaya, how old _are_ you?"

"Oh... uh..." Chihaya flushed faintly. "Well... pretty old, by your standards, I guess. I'm still very young by ours."

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Aya asked, abandoning the topic of age when he realized Chihaya wasn't going to share an exact number with him.

"Do what?" Chihaya seemed confused by the sudden switch in topic.

"Stay with me," Aya whispered, kissing Chihaya's temple. "If it's going to hurt you..."

"NO!" Chihaya burst out, clinging to him more tightly. "Baka. How would it be better for me to have NO time with you, rather than enjoying what time I do have and making memories to treasure later? Besides, either of us could die tomorrow. Why should I have to go through life alone just because my lifespan is longer than yours?" He suddenly paused. "But... it could cause trouble for you, later. I can't ever stay in one place too long, because people notice that I don't get any older. And in ten or twenty years, people will be very harsh with you for having a lover that still looks like a teenager. Are you sure YOU are willing to deal with that?"

"I want _you_ ," Aya said, catching Chihaya's lips in a possessive kiss. "I can deal with what everyone else thinks."

Chihaya nodded and curled up against him. "Then I'm staying. Just as long as you'll have me."

Aya nodded slowly, curling his arms around his lover. "Kritiker will want to recruit you," he said, his voice catching. "You may not end up as part of Weiß."

"I won't join them if I can't stay with you," Chihaya said stubbornly. "That's the end of that."

"You know too much," Aya sighed, lifting a hand to curl around Chihaya's neck as he kissed the angel. "Let's sleep, lover," he said, before Chihaya could answer him. "I'm too tired to think about all of this."

"Are we sleeping in our clothes, then?" Chihaya asked, amused.

Aya blushed faintly. "I'd rather not," he drawled, looking down at his shirt. "I don't like sleeping in wet clothing."

"Gomen nasai!" Chihaya exclaimed, pulling away immediately and looking abashed. "I didn't mean to..."

Aya held him tight, smiling. "You know... I do occasionally make jokes," he said, leaning in to catch Chihaya in another kiss. When he pulled back, he added, "I've just never claimed that they were _good_ jokes."

"Mou," Chihaya complained, though he was smiling faintly. "You negative people and your senses of humour. I'll never understand." He wriggled out of Aya's hold and slid off the bed, shedding what remained of his clothing hastily. He paused with his hand on his pants button. "Um... I hope you don't mind... I'm really too exhausted to... you know..." he blushed.

"We're both worn out," Aya said, smiling faintly. "It's been a rough day. I just want to hold you, lover. I don't think I'd have the energy for anything more, even if you _did_." He discarded his own clothing, waiting for Chihaya to slip into bed. "Enough time for that later."

Chihaya slid in next to him, cuddling up to him with a sigh of relief. "It's so wonderful to have someone to lean on again," he murmured, eyes closed as he pillowed his head on Aya's shoulder.

"Yes," Aya whispered, closing his own eyes as he held Chihaya to him. He was smiling softly, hope beginning to fill his soul and making the burden of the world impossibly light. "It's wonderful to love you."


End file.
